Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-07


get an appropriation through Congress
30 enala o., That Sue ena sRst the e
ing with the President's policy and
with the general plan for locating Gov
eminent buildings"
IT will use my influence in Congress
to prevent the appropriation Of many
millions of dollars to erect the War
Navy group in that triangle west OF
the white House, because there Is not
enough room there without going tc
the tremendous expense Of purchasing
and tearing down large and valuable
apartment houses. expect to talk
this matter over with President Hoover
on my return to Washington" con-
cluded Mr.. Wood
The statement of Chairman Wood
who occupies a position Of influence in
the House as chairman Of the important
Appropriations Committee, came as
big surprise to the Capital generally, as
it was supposed that the question OF
the location of the War-Navy group
virtually had been settled.
Mr.. Woods outspoken opposition to
this location, however, appeared to have
| split the question wide open again,
especially in view Of the fact that fur
ther legislation must be approved by
Congress before the War-Navy buildings
could be located in the triangle west OF
! the White House, approved by the Pub
lie Buildings Commission.
Location In Dispute.
There was considerable controversy
over selection of a site for the two
great departments Of defense, and 1t
was not until after prolonged considera-
ton and many postponed sessions that
the Public Buildings Commission finally
came to a conclusion in the matter
March 7, by selection of the site not far
/ from the Lincoln Memorial.
The Treasury Department was in
! favor of a location in the southwest
section of the city, while the Army and
! Navy stood out strongly for the section
! nearer the White House.
Subsequent to the statement by Chair
man Wood 1t was learned from sources
| close to the White House that President
| Hoover, who never took sides in the
| controversy over the location. has not
| reached a final conclusion himself and
is still keeping an open mind on the
| matter.
It was hardly to be expected at the
| present time that President Hoover
| would come out in opposition to the
|
| according to information from those
| closely in touch with the public build
| ing program, but the fact that the Chief
| Executive is waiting for futher devel-
! opmentS in the way of estimates from
| the Treasury shows that the big prob
| lem Is not nearly 50 much OF closed
question as had been supposed.
Architect Named Soon.
A. the Treasury Department 1t was
| learned from Assistant Secretary of the
! Treasury Ferry K. Heath that architects
! will be appointed before long to make a
study Of the site selected by the Public
| Buildings Commission, with view to
seeing what kind of buildings may be
placed there Of a size adequate to meet
the needs Of the two great departments
| Of defense
"Of course the land in that areo
! would cost q great deal Of money" said
Maj Heath. perhaps seven or eight
or nine millions Of dollars for the land
only" But under the authority Of the
| Public Buildings Commission selection
Maj. Heath said, the Treasury must
/, and prepare preliminary estimates, to
see what kind of structures can be built
on the land. how much space they
would offer, and how much they would
cost
Funds are on hand for the purpose Of
appointing such architects to make pre-
liminary studies, and sketches upon
which to base an estimate for Congress.
it was explained. But Congress would
have to approve the estimates, and pro-
vide appropriations for the erection of
the buildings on that site, before final
plans Of any kind could be prosecuted
I A,, - -. ~
| words, the Treasury must have further
authority and further funds from Con-
gress to proceed with the War and
Navy buildings on any site.
Congress Authority Needed.
| Chairman Wood fully realizes that
authority must still come from Con-
gress before the War-Navy buildings
| can be erected. And 1t was with knowl-
| edge Of the power of Congress yet to
change the situation that he came out
last night In public opposition to the
selected site. The basis Of Chairman
Woods objection. the excessive cost OF
the land, was considered as effective
at the head Of the House Committee
| on Appropriations, through which all
| appropriations for the public building
| program must pass.
Two SPECIFIC things will be studied by
the architects to be appointed soon for
the War-Navy project, 1t was explained.
They will see first what kind of a group
Of buildings could be planned for the
entire area selected. Secondly, they
War and Navy Buildings could be
| placed in the general area, excluding"
the expensive apartment house lands,
with a view to saving the expense OF
! such costly land.
In other words, the Treasury, having
been handed the job, is planning to do
the best it can with the situation, study
the whole matter in the light of the
large needs of both the War and Navy
Departments and see what can be done
| about it, from a practical standpoint
| of dollars and cents, of square feet Of
| floor space and cubic feet Of buildings,
| on the site selected.
The Army and Navy have put up q
stiff fight to keep close to the White
House end Of the city. 1t has been
made plain that neither the Army nor
the Navy has any love for the south
west section Of the city as a pros
pective site for their new home.
They claim that they wish to keep
closer to the executive group of the
! Government, instead Of going to the
| south side of the Mall nearer the Cap
itol Building and the legislative branch.
But they have put particular emphasis
upon the fact that most of their off,
GERS and employees live in the northwest
section of the city and would have
difhculty in getting to the southwest
site.
Recent informal reports have been
circulated that the Army was more ii:-
clined than the Navy to 60 to the
southwest site, but that the Army did
not want to be placed Southwest II the
Navy was to be placed Northwest.
Three principal proposed sites were
considered by the Public Buildings
Commission, the northwest one Sc
lected, the southwest one rejected and