Evening star., 1933-05-18
j. s. WILL EXPEDITE
BUILDING IN D. C.,
ROBERT ANNOUNCES
Statement Follows Meeting
of Treasury Officials
and Architects.
GRAND PLAZA PROJECT
NEXT TO BE STARTED
No Decision Has Been Reached Yet
on Apex Building Construc-
ton Plans.

All PUBIC DullQlngS ana other Federal
projects now under way in Washington
will be pushed to completion as rapidly
as possible so the Government may
have the use of the buildings and the
public may see completed buildings, 1t
was announced today by l.. w. Robert,
jr., Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in
charge Of the public building program,
following meeting of high Treasury
officials and members of the Board of
Architectural Consultants.
Among the projects which probably
will be taken up next will be the Grand
Plaza in the heart of the Federal Tri-
angle, stretching from the Department
of Commerce on the west to the new
Post Office Department on the east.
This will be turned into park so the
public buildings all around it will ap-
pear to good advantage.
Concerning the Apex Building, Mr..
Robert said no decision could be reached
at this time. Plans for 1t are under
way but have not been completed as
yet study will be made to determine
~
leave in their present location the sew
eral Federal commissions, which it is
planned to house in this building.
Woodin Is Guest.
Secretary of the Treasury Woodin
and members of the board were guests
of Mr.. Robert, jr.. at luncheon
meeting at the Metropolitan Club, and
business sessions on the same problem
we're held at the Treasury, both before
and after the luncheon.
Vital Importance was attached to the
conference, since the new public works
administration bill sent to Congress
yesterday would place $4,000 0o0, 900 in
the hands of President Roosevelt to be
expended as he sees fit.
The conference, therefore, was be-
lieved to be laying the preliminary
groundwork cut of which will grow de-
cisions as to what will be done here in
the way of public building
Mr.. Robert said he had invited mem
bers of the Board of Architectural Con-
Sultants to meet them personally and
to get from them their original ideas
in regard to the buildings which are
now under construction in the Federal
Triangle.
Each member of the Board Of Con-
sultants also has contract with the
Government as an architect for some
Of the public construction here.
No Changes Are Expected.
1t was understood no questions were
raised at this time as to the elimina-
tion or any change in the personnel Of
the board as consulting body advising
the Treasury.
In view of the long experience of
these architects and their large respon-
sibility in developing the Triangle. the
meeting today, it was learned, was de-
signed to mesh" in the results of the
past and present with the new admins
tration's idea Of what now is best for
the Government
The only member of the board who
was absent was William Adams Delano
of New York, a distant cousin of both
President and Mrs. Roosevelt. He is ar
chitect for the Post Office Department
and is now i'll in Paris, where he has
been supervising completion of the new
American embassy, of which he is the
architect.
Members of the board in attendance
included Edward H. Bennett of Chicago,
chairman, who has been designated to
draw plans for the new Apex Building
at Constitution and Pennsylvania ave-
nues. and who also is planning the
landscaping for the Triangle; Arthur
Brown of San Francisco, architect for
the three connected buildings in the
Triangle for housing the Interstate CON-
merce Commission, the new Govern
ment Auditorium and the Department
of Labor; John Russell Pope of New
York, architect for the Archives Build
ing; Louis Ayers of New York repre-
senting the firm of York g. Sawyer.
architects for the Department of Cont
merce Building; c. c. Zantzinger of
Philadelphia, member of the firm of
Zantzinger, Bori & Medary, which &C.
veloped plans for the Department of
Justice, and Louis A. Simon, superin-
tendent of the architectural division of
the Office of the supervising architect,
Treasury Department.
One Building Delayed.
An official who ranked high in both
the old and new administrations, Fred
eric A. Delano, chairman of the National
Capital Park and Planning Commission,
was present. Mr.. Delano Is an uncle
of President Roosevelt, and not only
had large part in the general planning
Of the National Capital under the past
administration, but Is close to the new
administration.
Among others at the luncheon were
former Assistant Secretary of the Treas
ury Ferry K. Heath and Lee c. Martin,
assistant to Mr.. Roberts.
[CE PREDICTED