Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-31
Rate by Mail-Payable in Advance.
MARYLAND and virginia.
An other States and Canada.
Now Lock the Door!

Inc lacb Lnat a nall OF archives
included in the grand project for Gov
eminent buildings does not tighten tn
loss that was suffered yesterday in tn,
destruction of one of the war time
temporary housings with great mas
OF valuable, irreplacable records. Hac
the archives building been alread,
erected and the records not immediately
current been removed to it this Loss
would not have occurred. Or, If the
IRE of yesterday had been postponed
for few years the Government woulc
not today be the sufferer of an ir-
remediable loss.
Yesterdays object lesson has been
often predicted. Repeatedly, in the
course of the many years elapsing be-
tween the proposal of the erection OF
a Government record building and this
adoption of plans for its provision, ii
has been foretold that in the absence
Of ssuch structure the Federal adj
ministration would some day lose ir-
reparably through fire. The prayer OF
all who knew the condition of the
record housings was that in the virtually
inevitable happening of fire in a public
structure-either old-type permanent
or makeshift temporary" or rented
the damage would not be heavy
Yesterdays FIRE, as far as it is now
possible to determine, wiped out the
records of ten or more years of work
by the Federal Trade Commission and
the records also of the Children's Blu
reau. The Trade Commissions archives
were of PARTICULAR Importance and value
They included the detailed accounts
of several far-reaching investigations
into industrial and business enterprises.
Furthermore, all the working papers"
Of current use were destroyed. The
conditions were such as to invite COM
plete destruction. The object lesson was
complete.
1t is not completely a case of locking
the door after the horse is stolen, in
asmech as the archives building had
been specifically planned and its site
chosen some time before the happening
Of the blaze that within couple of
hours wiped out the work of years. But
there is logic in the demand that no
more time be lost in the provision of
the freproof structure that alone will
assure protection of the Governments
records. There should be no reliance
upon the law of chance, on the theory
that it reduces TO a small percentage
the danger Of another destructive fire.
Under the law the present occupants
of the site chosen for the archives
building have until January / next be-
fore custer can be effected, unless the
Government desires earlier occupancy,
IN which case it must give sixty days
notice. II that notice be given at once
the market now occupying the site can
be vacated on the first Of November.
Meanwhile the detailed plans can be
pressed and every possible move made
toward the letting Of contracts. With
diligence the work Of site clearing can
be under way before the first of the
year and the ground made ready for
the frst strokes of construction in early
Spring.
In point of precedence the Archives
Building becomes the most urgent
necessity Of all the Governments struc-
tural needs, in view Of yesterdays dis
astrous fire. This, however, does not
mean that other works should be neg
lecteo or postponed. AL of those on
the general program should be pressed
with the utmost speed consistent with
sound construction. For they are to
afford housing for bureaus and de-
partments now occupying in some cases
unsafe, In all cases inadequate buildings,
and the working records Of these adj
n1inistrative units are in daily peril.