Evening star., 1938-03-27

February 2 of that year, there is a
provision that reads:
mo part of this or any other ap-
preparation shall be used for or in con-
nection with the demolition of the Dis
trict of Columbia Municipal Building,
the old Post Office Building or the
building Q300 E street N.WN formerly
the Southern Railway Building"
Government officials who are in a
position to know say that this is still
the law. The District Building is not
deemed as much out of sympathy, ar
chitecturally, as are the two other
structures, and it may be that this
building shall remain in the final
scheme.
RUT there is another impelling rea-
son why these older buildings in
the Triangle will not likely be torn
down in the near future-and that is
the tremendous pressure for space
that has become more acute since the
New Deal stepped into Washington
Right now the Government officials
are hard put to find adequate space
In which to house the varied activities
of Uncle Sam, and as evidence of this
clamor the Social Security Board has
been forced to accommodate part of
Its activities in Baltimore, because
they say, adequate space could not be
found for them in the National Cap
ltal.
A canvass of the situation reveals
that the new buildings that are now
considered on the priority list are the
new War Department Building and a
building for the Social Security Board
Congress has been giving considera-
ton to new home for the War De-
partment, which is now housed in 10
Government owned and rented build
ings in Washington. The Army is
anxious to concentrate its activities
under one roof if possible.
The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission has been con-
sidering the location of the new War
Department Building at Twenty-firs
to Twenty third, c to E streets NV,
but just how the Virginia avenue an
gle of the problem will work out has
not yet been finally revealed.
The new Social Security Building is
being discussed for the so-called
Southwest Triangle, on the south side
of the Mall, but subsequent events
may alter this. Another new build
ing that has come into recent dis
s. %l,o+
counting Office.
A new building for the Securities
and Exchange Commission, now
housed at Eighteen street and Penn
sylvania avenue NV, in the old In
terstate Commerce Commission Build
ing, in rented structure, has re-
ceived slight attention, but as time
goes on demands for a home for this
new agency of Government may we'll
be expected.
The future of Government build
ings in Washington may well be con-
sidered to be welded with reorganiza-
ton of the executive branch of the
Federal Government.
pLANS that have been discussed in
the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission and the Fine
Arts Commission for the space now
occupied by the old Post Office Depart
ment Building have envisioned the
completion OF the Grand Circle at
Twelfth street. Three -fourths of this
has now been finished and can be seen
at the new Post Office Department
Building, just across the street: in the
Interstate Commerce Commission and
the Bureau Of Internal Revenue Build
ings. It is considered likely that the
Bureau of Internal Revenue may ex-
pand into that new building, along
Pennsylvania avenue, to close the
architectural gap between the new
Post Office Department apd the Bu-
reau of Internal Revenue.
A Public Works Administration
grant of nearly s2,0O0,000 enabled the
Bureau of Internal Revenue to con-
struct its annex at Tenth street and
Pennsylvania avenue NV. The Bu-
reau of Internal Revenue Building
at Tenth street and Constitution ave-
nue. NV, was the first of the Triangle
group to be completed and occupied
for its corner stone was laid on May