Evening star., 1934-06-15
ROOSEVELT OFFICE
CHANGE APPROVED
Present Quarters to Be Ex-
tended on East Side
Soon.

President Roosevelt today approved
the plans for building an extension
on the east side Of the Executive
Once Of the White House and other
wise altering the present Offices, TO
cost more than $4,000, and at the
same time announced that during the
more than four months the construc-
ton work will be in progress the
White House mansion itself will serve
as the Executive Once.
With the Presidents stamp Of ap-
proval upon the blue prints prepared
by the once Of Public Buildings and
Public Parks, bids for the construc-
ton will be invited within the next
few days with q view to commencing
the actual work as soon after July !
as Is possible.
Beauty Of House Saved.
Announcement at the White House
today that the extension would be
built on the East side of the present
ofice building instead of the south
side, as originally contemplated py
the President, came as somewhat of a
surprise.
This change was made after con-
ferences between the President and
members of the United States Com
mission Of Fine Arts. The latter ar
gued that an extension of the south
side would destroy the general archi-
tectural beauty of the Office building
and would also cut of q considerable
part Of the view Of the rear of the
White House mansion itself to per-
sons travelling on West Executive
avenue.
The plans also call for a construc-
ton Of q second story to the execu-
tive office building which will be in
the form Of a penthouse and which
Will be considerably concealed from
the street by the placing Of an orna-
mental ballustrade around the upper
story. Also, the present ceiling of
the one-story office building will be
reduced nearly 2 feet, which will
make it possible to build the second
story penthouse of sufficient
height without making it too no
ticeable from the outside. This pent-
house will be used principally for
storage and file purposes
In establishing the executive Office
in the White House itself. President
Roosevelt expects to be able to find
sufficient room on the main floor and
in the basement for his entire execl-
tive staff. The task Of moving the
desks and other Office furniture, as
well as the many telephone and tele-
graph lines, will be begun soon.
This will be the first move since
1902, when President Theodore Roose-
velt moved the executive Offices from
the mansion itself to the once build
ing he had constructed on the ex-
treme west wing. which was later en-
larged to its present size by President
Taft.
From the beginning Of the occu-
pancy of the White House as the
presidential home during the admin
istration of John Adams all Of the
presidential business was transacted
In the house up until 1902.
Most of that time the Office Of the
President. himself, was In the room
on the second floor made famous by
Abraham Lincoln in which he signed
the emancipation proclamation, and
later by Herbert Hoover as his private
study in which he held many notable
conferences.
Selects Blue Room.
President Roosevelt, however. will
not use that room for his Office. He
has selected the blue room, which is
oval in shape and which looks out
on the south lawn. Throughout the
history of the White House it has
served as the formal reception room
Tor the President. The so-called green
| parlor, between the blue room and
the large historic east room, will be
used as an office by Stephen Early
and Col. Marvin H. Mcintyre, two
secretaries to the President. The So
called red parlor, between the blue
room and the state dining room on
| the west end of the building, will be
used during these four months as a
waiting room for those guests who
have engagements with the Executive.
The main lobby of the White House
will be congested according to the
present plans. Besides serving as a
waiting room for callers seeking audi
ences with the President or his secre-
taries, it will be used b. the various
uSherS as well no doubt by Rudolph
Foster, the executive clerk of the
House; Maurice Latta, the assistant
executive clerk; Maj. Richard Jervis,
chief Of the White House Secret Serv-
ice, and the corps of White House
correspondents.
To Cover Floors.
The floors of the White House will
be covered with burlap so as to pre-
serve them from unnecessary wear
during the temporary occupancy. and
the handsome rugs will be removed
and replaced with less expensive ones
from the present executive Offices.
The extension to the present of1ce
building will be built from the stair
way leading to the west terrace, to
the present south end Of the Office
building. This extension will be 20
feet wide and nearly 80 feet long.
The Presidents Office will be in this
extension. His room will be built on
the extreme southeast corner and will
be oval in shape. just as his present
office. and will be similar to the lat
ter in every way, except that 1t will
be considerably lighter and SUMMER
and a trife larger.
The room now occupied by Secre-
tary Early, at the extreme northwest
corner of the ONCE building, will be
turned over to the White House cor
respondents.