Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-08-24
HOUSING EXPERTS
DEPLORE SLUMS
OF WASHINGTON
German Visitor Made III by
Sights He Witnessed in
District Alleys.
BEAUTY AND SQUALOR
EXIST SIDE BY SIDE
Trips Of Inspection by All Wis
itors Urged as Remedy for
Local Situation.

II all visitors to Washington could
be taken sightseeing" through the
slums and alley dwellings of the city,
as well as through the beautiful and
spacious Government buildings and
expansive parks, it would not be long
until the squalor Of these inhabited
alleys would be abolished forever, it is
agreed by the trio of European hous-
ing experts who toured them yesterday
and Ernest J. Bohn, president of the
National Association of Housing ON
Gals, who accompanied them.
The three visitors, who are touring
the country's cities under sponsorship
Of Mr.. Bohn's association, were taken
through the worst of the slum areas
through Dixon, Logan and Fenton
courts and the many others.
One Made Ill by Sights.
One Of the trio, DR.. Ernest Kahn Of
Frankfort-on-M Main, Germany, frank
ly said he was made Ill by the sights
which greeted him.
ut was too much for me. I got
sick" said the housing authority,
whose eyes have beheld New Yorks
| lower East Side and Londoan's Lime
house district at their worst without
blinking.
The two other members of the party
are Sir Raymond Unwin and Miss A.
M. Samuel, both Of England. both of
whom gazed at the squalid conditions
and expressed wonder that the beau
tiful Capital of the Nation harbored
such habitations for human beings.
Miss Samuel commented on the Nth
Of the alleys, saying, They are worse
than many we have in England"
after stepping over garbage heaps,
standing aghast at almost unbeliev-
able insanitary conditions, chatting
with sickly appearing tenants and in
specting ramshackle interiors.
Conferences Held Today.
Today the group was holding con-
ferences at the Department Of the
Interior auditorium as representatives
| OF Government agencies and District
OF Columbia officials laid down O bar
rage Of questions.
John Ihlder of the Washington Com
mittee on Housing, chairman Of the
local sponsoring committee, presided
and introduced Albert L. Deane.
deputy Federal housing administra-
tor, and Col. Horatio 3. Hackett.
i director of housing, Public Works Adj
ministration.
In the conference we're representa-.
tives Of Public Works Administration
Federal Housing Administration. FED
eral Emergency Relief Administration.
Home Owners Loan Corp, Sub
sistence Homesteads and of the Dis
trict government and the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion.
The group began It's day Of touring
yesterday with a visit to the District
Building, then a stop at the Offices
OF the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission, where its mem
oers inspected maps and charts of
plans for the city. After the morning
tour they went to the Y. w. C, A.
Tor luncheon, where James Ring, spe-
clal investigator for the Senate Dis
trict Committee, reviewed the recon-
mendations made to the Senate by the
Public Utilities Commission as n re-
suit of his Investigations.
Clearance Law Cited.
Ring pointed out that the sllev
Clearance law, recently enacted bv
Congress, will go far toward elirnina-
ZION OF substandard housing, but said
ne DeheVed the District needed, above
all, a comprehensive housing law which
clearly defines minimum housing
standards and authorizes municipal
powers to order abandonment of un-
substantial housing.
Miss Samuel voiced the hone that
the authorities, to be appointed by
the President, will provide for ho,Isins
OF persons forced TO vacate shacks
scheduled for destruction.
Mr.. Bohn said today that Washing
tons slum clearance program still
seems TO be In the propaganda"
stage, whereas it Is far head OF that
In other cities. He added:
1.-THE Washington Housing Commit
tee, Of which Ihlder is secretary. Is
doing good work, and we who know
conditions hope 1t will continue TO
accomplish results"
Commenting on the reason for the
Capitals hardness In getting slum
clearance work under way, Bohn
said
1.-THE trouble with Washington Is
that large number of her residents
are not 'Washingtonians' They are
from other States and cities, and are.
In q sense, here today, gone tomor-
row. We who live with these things
every day, all our lives (Afr. Bohn is
from Cleveland, are interested In
eliminating them from our home
cities.
Need Of Legislation Cited.
However, If all the visitors to
Washington from California, Kansas.
Montana, Mississippi and all the
States could be forced to see the
ugly along with the beautiful, the
filthy along with the clean, the
squalor along with the spacious, which
Is the slums along with the Govern
ment buildings, 1t would not be long
before pressure enough would be put
on to enact the legislation necessary
to eliminate them forever"
The visit to Washington will end
tomorrow, after the foreign visitors
are introduced over the radio at 7:30
pm. by Secretary of the Interior
Ickes. They will visit Great Falls and
Mount Vernon during the day, and at
pm. will entrain for Boston, first
stop on their swing around the coun-
try.