Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-11
SCHOOL SITE DELAY
LAID TOAGREEMENT
GotWaIs Said to Have Urged
Plot Opposed by
Board.
Continued From First Page.)

Continued From First Page)
reliable sources that the reason the
land had not been purchased during
the Summer was that Maj. Gotwals
had been seeking without success 10
convince the school authorities that
they should approve the site at Thirty
ninth and Fessenden streets in defer
ence to Senator Nye's preference
1t was learned. further, that the
school authorities and Charles w. Eliot,
Sd, city planner Of the National CAPITAL
Park and Planning Commission, have
long since agreed on two other sites
in the same locality. The Thirty ninth
and FesSenden streets tract was unde-
sirable, school authorities explained, be-
cause 1t Is not large enough and the
Senior High School students would be
the athletic f1eld of the Alice Deal
Junior High School.
Knew of Conversations
Mr.. Eliot said last night that he had
submitted the two alternative sites to
the school authorities last May. The
park and planning commission he said,
took no formal action with respect to
the sites however because Mai Got
walls had asked that the matter of a
choice be left in his hands 1t was
pointed out, at that time, that the
Engineer Commissioners Office had final
decision anyway and that the matter
might just as well be left with the
Engineer Commissioner himself. Mr..
Eliot told The Star last night that he
knew as long ago as last May that
Maj. Gotwals had had conversations
with certain members of Congress" He
did not name these members, however
Asked specifically why he had not
bought site, Mai. H. L. Robb assistant
engineer commissioner, whose duties in
clude the purchasing ofe school lands,
SAID yesterday he was awaiting Maj.
Gotwals' return to his ONCE from sick
leave and specific instructions" He
declined to comment on Maj. Gotwals'
part in the transaction or the part
which Senator Nye was reported to
have played, preferring. he said, to
proceed in the matter upon orders from
his superiors.
DR.. Reichelderfer told The Star he
knew nothing of any Agreements
which Maj. Gotwals and Senator Nye
had. He said he knew. however. that
Maj. Gotwals had been in contact with
Senator Nye," but that he doubted the
existence of any agreement"
The site which Maj. Gotwals is re-
ported to prefer for the senior high
ton as an elementary school site. It
adjoins the home of Edward G. Yonker,
president Of the Sanitary Grocery Co.,
who, with several neighbors, have Wig
orously protested against its use for ele-
mentary school purposes. When asked
yesterday II he would agree to the
Thirty-ninth and Fessenden streets
site for a senior high school, Mr..
Yonkers refused to say. 1t was re-
ported in official circles, however. that
the property owners who had protested
the elementary school were satisfied to
have "a big handsome senior high
school in their community"
Preference Is Mystery.
None Of the persons interviewed yes
terday was able to say why Senator
Nye wanted the new senior high school
to be erected at Thirty ninth and Fes-
sender streets rather than on either
of the two larger and less expensive
tracts three or four blocks away. Sena-
tor Nye himself was reported on an
outing In distant woods and Mrs. Nye
said he could not be reached either by
telegraph or telephone
While the Fessenden street site is %
small that 1t would require an irregu-
larly-shaped building. in addition TO the
double use of the Alice Deal Junior High
School recreational fields, the other two
sites offer much better accommoda-
tons, school officials explained yester-
day. The more preferred of the two
alternative sites, they said, would ac-
commodate Q well planned building and
an athletic field with q quarter-mile
track. The second Of the two acceptable
sites would permit the construction Of
slightly irregularly shaped building"
and q flfth-mile track Either of these
tracks, however would be acceptable
to the school authorities and to the city
planner.