Evening star., 1932-07-07
WOOD OPENS SUIT
FOR $4,000 CLAIM 5:
ON u. S. CONTRACT
Architect Seeks Pay for
Services on State, War
and Navy Project.
BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
ABANDONED BY TREASURY
Plaintiff Says He Completed All
Work Except Actual
Superintendent.

Waddy B. Wood, Washington archi-
tect. today opened his suit against the
Government for breach Of contract be-
cause the Government stopped the
project for remodeling the old State.
war and Navy Building, for which he
had a contract.
The suit was heard by Commissioner
Guilford S. Jameson Of the United
States Court of Claims IN the Treasury
Department Building.
Mr.. Wood In a petition fled by his
attorneys, Howe p. Cochran and
Charles Leo DeOrsey, claims the Gov
ernment still owes him 100000. He
sets forth that he has completed all
the architectural services except SUPER
mtendence Of the actual work.
The brief says he already has re-
ceived from the Treasury Department
the sum OF 100000 and an equal amount
is unpaid and nov due"
Mills Under Subpoena.
Although subpoenas have been issued
by the Court Of Claims for appearance
OF Secretary Of the Treasury Mills,
Assistant Secretary Heath and Super
vlsing Architect James A. Wetmore,
their appearance was postponed and
Mr.. Wood appeared as the first wit
ness.
The old State, War and Navy Build
ing was termed by Mr.. Cochran Zone
OF the worlds greatest architectural
monstrosities" He explained the
progress of the plan to remodel it.
declaring it was Mr.. Wood who discov-
cred the f1ocr plan was similar to the
treasury Department, which flsnks the
White House on the east, as the State.
war and Navy Department f1anks it on
the west. The proposal to remodel was
first approved, the attorney said. by
Secretary Of War Davis, Secretary of
State Kellogg and later Congress an
propriated funds and Mr.. Wocd was
employed as architect under a contract
Wnlcn provided he should receive 6 per
cent OF the total cost Of remodeling.
Mr.. Wood testified he had performed
ali OF the services required except actual
super vision OF the job, and this was i'm
possible, because the Treasury Depart
ment had not placed the project on
the market. Other structures of which
ne Is the architect, Mr.. Wood said.
were number of wartime temporary
buildings, the Commercial National
bank, the new Southern Railway Build
ing, and the new building for the Pots
mac Electric Power Co.
OOnpactAUH Oate ClLe0.
Mr.. Wood testified his preliminary
eSeimate Tor the date Of completing the
pulldlng had been February, 1882. This.
ms attorney explained, was a date
earlier than the time Mr.. Wood re-
ceived notice not to proceed. In the brief
It Is shown that the official notice to
discontinue Mr.. Woods work was in a
letter from Assistant Secretary Heath.
dated March 3 of this year.
am no longer a young man."
wrote Mr. Wood to the Secretary of the
Treasury on March 8 concerning the
proposal to postpone the project. This
was going to be my masterpiece. It
embodied the dreams of my lifetime.
As result of this, 1 expected to
occupy place in architectural history.
1t would, I think, have been one Of
the most beautiful buildings in the
world
But it has been indefinitely post
poned. had confidently expected to
put this work out for bids last year.
My office force was maintained
throughout this time, expecting to go
ahead. and the work would have been
almost finished now if the contract
had been promptly let"
Sees Personal Calamity.
Explaining he had been embarrassed
as a result of the expense and delay,
Mr.. Wood said "the abandonment Of
this project at the moment Of realiza-
ton is an overwhelming calamity to
me-"
In later letter he explained he had
submitted bill for STA, 4,583.24 for serv-
ices, but this did not include damages"
which he claimed resulted from aban-
donment of the project.
The Government was represented by
E N Griswold, an attorney at the De-
partment of Justice.
The contract between the Treasury
and Mr. Wood was dated July 10, 1880.
Explaining why the Treasury had
abandoned the project for remodeling
the building, Attorney Griswold for the
Government said the act of Congress
Of February of this year forbids the
Government spending any money on
the job.
Wood submitted a mass Of CORE
spondence with the Treasury Depart
ment to support his claim for additional
compensation