Evening star., 1933-12-08
Roosevelt Believed Ready to
Seek Funds for Housing
Program.
FINE ARTS COMMISSION
ASKS COURTS UNIT FIRST
Step Forward in Municipal I'm
provements Seen in Dern.
Swanson Farley.

Future development of Washington
took another step forward today when
DR.. Charles Moore. chairman of the
Fine Arts Commission. arranged to con-
fer with Secretaries Dern and Swanson
concerning the projected new War and
Navy Departments being considered for
Pennsylvania avenue west Of Seven
teenth street.
Secretary Ickes and DR.. Moore con-
ferred yesterday with President Roose-
velt who is believed to be ready to ask
Congress for additional funds for the
Governments own housing program
here. Inquiry at the Public Works Ad-
miniStration today revealed that that
organization is not in a position to
advance money for new Government de-
partments here inasmuch as the law
limits it to making available funds for
labor and materials. In the case of
alley dwelling improvements and the
bettering of housing for individuals the
administration funds are loaned to
corporations formed for that purpose.
The Star inquired at the Commission
OF Fine Arts concerning the commits
sion'S present views on the improve
ment of Washington and was informed
that the organization is keenly inter-
ested in seeing the Municipal Center
at least the first unit, the courts
building without delay. The
Government already owns this land
vania avenue and John Marshall Place
for the Municipal Center
To Clean Up Avenue.
The commission has previously gone
on record as favoring the erection of
the new War and Navy Departments on
the north and south sides Of Pennsyl-
vania avenue west of the White House.
It has felt that Pennsylvania avenue
should be cleaned up IN the region near
the Capitol.
Conditions on the western portion
of Pennsylvania avenue are not dis
graceful, now. but they may become so
with the shifting of official population
to the East" the commission declared.
"At best the present conditions along
the Avenue fall far below those that
should characterize the great thorough
fare of the Capital. Large sections of
the triangle, bounded by Pennsylvania
avenue. Constitution avenue and the
Rock Creek Parkway present slum con-
ditions.
The adequate improvement of this
portion of the city is made imperative
by the high development planned for
Constitution avenue extending from the
Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial and
of the Rock Greek and Potomac Park
way.
1.-The drawback to the triangle i'm
provement are the existing private
buildings on the north side of the
Avenue from Sixth to Fifteenth street.
In locating the War and Navy Depart
ments on Pennsylvania avenue to the
west of the White House this objection
can be obviated literally by locating the
L,,;1 of fhof
thoroughfare, preferably utilizing for
landscape effects the small triangular
reservations in the original L'Enfant
plan of 1892, as for example those be-
tween Eighteenth and Nineteenth
streets. The Commission of Fine Arts
Is not committed to a particular loca-
ton so long as the principle is main
tanned of sites on Pennsylvania avenue
west of the white House.
White House Center.
"By the extension of the executive
area to the west the White House CEN
ter would be maintained Also a uni
form development of the city would
result. Pennsylvania avenue would be
harmoniously improved throughout its
entire length from the Capitol to the
Rock Greek Parkway.
ultimately this entire area, between
the avenue ana Constltutlon avenue,
much of which is already owned and
occupied by the Government, would
be brought up to the level of the tri-
angle area. To neglect this so great
and SO obvious an opportunity would
result in throwing the city out of bal
ance. Then the future would lament
and reprobate the short -sightedness OF
the present"
The commission has gone on record
as favoring the removal of the Naval
Hospital from its present site at Twen-
ty-third and Constitution avenue to
other quarters. preferably as part OF
a United Services HOSPITAL Center OF
which Walter Reed Hospital would
form the nucleus. The commission has
said that there are sites along the
Anacostia Park which should be con-
sidered for the Naval Hospital.