Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-21
WAR AND NAVY SITE
DATA TO Be LISTED
Buildings Commission to Con-
slider Advantages of
Three Proposals.

Further information regarding the
several locations that have been sug-
gested for the new War and Navy
Building is to be compiled before an
other meeting of the Public Buildings
Commission is called to consider a de-
cision, Senator Smoot Of Utah, chair
man, said last night.
Earlier in the day the Public Build
ings group discussed the problem with
representatives of the Fine Arts Com
mission, the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission and other Gov
eminent officials, including Secretary
of the Treasury Mellon, and Secretary
of War Hurley, but did not reach
decision.
There are three general localities
under discussion, namely: The So
called southwest area, on the soutn
side of the Mall near the Capitol, ana
living vest of the new Botanic Gar
dens site; the area along Pennsyiva-
MIA avenue west of Seventeenth street,
and the area extending toward the
Lincoln Memorial, south of Pennsyl-
vania avenue and west Of Seventeenth
street.
Hold Conflicting Views.
Treasury Department officials were
represented as favoring the site on the
south side of the Mall near the Capitol,
while officials of the Fine Arts Com
mission advocated placing the War and
Navy Building opposite each other on
Pennsylvania avenue, somewhere west
of Seventeenth street.
The National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission made known TO the
public buildings group its opposition TO
any departure from the Mcmillan plan
of 1901 and the plan Of 1928 with a
concentration of Government buildings
about the axis of the Mall and about the
White House" The Planning Commits
sion also favors the development OF
lands about the Mall already owned or
authorized for purchase prior to ac-
QUESTION of additional lands for office
buildings. The southwest site. near the
Capitol, would require acquisition OF
additional lands.
1t was also brought out at the confer
ence today that the southwest site near
the Capitol would entail the necessity
of moving railroad tracks in the south
west section further south. One official
who attended the conference estimated
that the railroad changes would involve
a cost of 100000.
War Departments View.
The position of the War Department
is briefly as follows: That its f1rst
choice would be site west of the White
House on land owned by the Govern
ment, south of Pennsylvania avenue.
The paramount object Of this Depart
ment, however, is to get building at
an early date to bring together its
activities now scattered in IL places.
The War Department Is represented as
taking the view that If the various
commissions concerned with the future
development of Washington say the
partment will accept the decision.
According to data compiled by the
Park and Planning Commission, the
Navy Department has suggested that
new Navy Office be located southwest
of the White House on land already
authorized for purchase in the area be-
tween c, E, Eighteenth and Nineteenth
streets.
In addition to the members of the
Public Buildings Commission, the meet
ing was attended by Secretary of the
Treasury Mellon and Secretary of War
Hurley, as well as officials of several
in the development of the National
Capital. Charles Moore of the Fine Arts
Commission indicated that that COM
mission would prefer to see the War and
/ Navy Buildings balance each other on
opposite sites of Pennsylvania avenue,
west of Seventeenth street, but is not
combining itself to any particular squares
| in that area.
The various studies made by the Park
and Planning Commission and the con-
illusions it has reached were outlined
by Charles Eliot, I'd, city planner of the
commission.
In addition to Chairman Smoot, the
members of the Public Buildings Com
mission are Senator Swanson of Vir-
GINA, Representative Elliott of Indiana,
Representative Lanham of Texas, Archi-
tect of the Capitol Lynn, James A. Wet
more, supervising architect of the
Treasury. and Lieut.. Col U. s. Grant,
Sd. member and executive officer.