Evening star., 1939-03-21
Pan-American Annex
To Congress
Interior Department
Asks Permission to
Build Be Rescinded

Inc long -Stdndlng controversy
between the Interior Department
and the n-American Union, as tc
whether an annex to the Pan Amer.
lcan should be constructed on
Constitution avenue. between Vir-
ginia avenue and Nineteenth street
NV. has been dropped into the
lap of Congress
A bill, submitted yesterday to
Speaker Bankhead of the House b,
Acting Secretary Of the Interior
Harry Slattery, which would rescinJ
the legal right of the Pan-America1
to erect building on the site. ha;
been referred to the House Public
Buildings and Grounds Committee
This brings to focus the contro-
versy in which President Roosevelt
himself intervened with a persona
plan for the site. which he proposed
should be used for park.
Under present law Congress has
authorized the Pan-American anne,
to be built on the triangle of ground
Secretary of the Interior Ickes oh.
Jected to the proposed building
because it would obstruct the view
to the new Interior Department,
Building. from Constitution avenue
and be out of line with the develop.
ment along Constitution avenue.
Commissions Approved.
The Fine Arts Commission anC
the National Capital Park anc
Planning Commission. in a .neetin,
February l. 1886. approved the pla,,
OF the Pan-American to 20 aheac
with its annex. At that time the
two commissions said some changes
in treatment of the ground between
the Interior and the proposed Pan.
American annex might be made ,e
create a more attractive setting, bu
contended there was no other alter
native but to erect the annex.
Secretary 1ckes. however. contin-
ued his objection. and Presiden,
Roosevelt was disclosed by The Star
on February is. to have presented
plan OF his own. to leave out the
building, and develop the place as
a park.
The Pan-American Union ha,
spent about $4,000 for a tunne
which runs from its present build.
ing under Eighteenth street into the
site for the annex. But no furthc,
steps were taken by the Pan-Amer.
lean after the President came out
with his proposal.
When informed today of the nev
development in the form of a pro.
posal to rescind the Pan-American'.
legislative right to build on the site
DR.. Leo S. Rowe. director genera,
OF the Pan-American. said he haC
no comment at this time.
Slattery Sends Letter,
Acting Secretary Slattery, in sub
mitting the proposed bill to Speaker
Bankhead, sent a letter explaining
the position of the department.
If a proper perspective of the
area is to be maintained" he wrote
1T is necessary to provide an un-
obstructed view of a facade of the
new Inferior Building from Consti-
tuition avenue. The interpositior
Of small Office or annex building
between Constitution avenue and the
large office building of a major
Government department is in direct
conflict with the policy heretofore
followed in Systematically placing
imposing public buildings in strate-
gic positions on Constitution avenue
Should the proposed small office
building be erected on square 147
it will constitute the sole exception
to that policy.
Looking westward from Seven
teenth street and Constitution ave-
nue. NV. may be seen an imposing
array. the buildings of the Pan
American Union, Public Health
Service. Federal Reserve Board, Sci
ence Advisory Board and the Amer
ican Pharmaceutical Association. II
the proposed Office building of the
Pan-American Union is located or
square lat it must necessarily be
projected approximately 100 feet In
advance of the building line estab-
lished with inconsequential varia-
tions for landscape purposes by the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission and the National Com
mission on Fine Arts. Due to its
shape, square 147 cannot be utilized
for office building purposes unless
this building line is violated. A
fundamental principle Of zonine
would be violated by waving this
building line merely for the accom-.
mediation Of an ofice or annex
building"
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