Evening star., 1934-09-21
Rehabilitation Body's Pro-
gram Believed Foo Tenta-
tive for Acceptance.
DETAILS OF PROPOSAL
ARE CLOSELY GUARDED
Allen Is Said to Have Confused
Rural Rehabilitation With
Subsistence Homesteads.

The low-cost housing project Of the
newly formed District Rehabilitation
Corp. and the plan for subsistence
farming to help relieve the needs OF
local unemployed workers are back
on the desk of Commissioner George
B. Allen, it was learned today, with q
rejection slip from F. e. r. A. ofacials
Details of these plans. submitted to
F. E. r. A. some days ago by Commis-
sioner Allen, were closely guarded by
Federal relief ofiicials who refused to
divulge or discuss them. Commits
sioner Allen, it was learned, had sub
mitted at the same time q request or
application for Federal funds to help
defray the expense Of his rehabilita-
ton program.
Until they were turned back to Com
missioner Allen, the District program
was in the hands Of Col. Lawrence
Westbrook, chief Of the rural rehabili-
tation division Of F. e. r. A. Col.
Westbrook had been named as q MEM
Der Of the Executive Committee Of the
recently formed District Rehabilita-
ton Corp, of which Allen is presi-
dent. Refusing to be interviewed
about the matter, Col. Westbrook sent
out word from his ofice that he had
been compelled to send the proposal
back to Commissioner Allen and could
not discuss the plans until they had
been accepted by the Federal Relief
Administration.
Hopkins Not Informed.
Administrator Harry L. Hopkins, II
was said, as yet knows nothing Of the
details in the proposals which were
submitted nor is it likely that he
would until they had been approved
by subordinates. Allen had withheld
details before forwarding the plans
to relief headquarters.
Two unofficial" and contradictory
explanations were given by Federal
ofncials for the situation, which un-
doubtedly will result in an indefinite
delay in carrying out the plans Of the
District corporation. One was that the
plans were sent back for the correc-
ton Of mere technicality.
Another explanation was to the ef-
feet that Commissioner Allen appar-
emily had confused rural rehabilitation
with subsistence homesteads-twoe en-
tirely different programs-and had
mixed low-cost housing up with these
in O way that no one seemed to un-
derstand at headquarters.
Only In Formulative State.
The present situation that has de-
veloped, 1t was said, does not mean
that F. e. r. A. will refuse to Coop
crate in the scheme with the District
relief authorities. It is in such a ten
tative and formulative state as to be
unacceptable in its present form.
The District Rehabilitation Corpra-
tion was announced September at
the first formal meeting of its seven
directors. The corporation proposed
then to launch its low-cost housing
project on a moderate scale, which
would be broadened later as the first
units were established.
Coupled with these plans are the
self-help agencies now being estab-
ished and for which, it was said at
F. E. r. A., a request has been made
for a Federal allotment of $2,700.
Ohlcials said this amount undoubtedly
would be granted. Self-help agencies
are being formed In many sections of
the country with recognition and as
sistance from Federal headquarters.
Self-help agencies, it Is understood,
are to be left alone by the District Re
habilitation Corporation, as these are
being set up under an organization of
their own.