Evening star., 1939-01-31
Plea for Reconsideration

A1Cer mOntnS or study or the prob
lem of providing the Nations Capital
with shelter for large assemblies such
as Inauguration ceremonies, public
receptions, concerts, etc, the Capital
Auditorium Commission, headed by
Secretary of the Interior Harold L.
Ickes, recommended that a building
of appropriate size and design be
constructed in Constitution avenue
between John Marshall place and
Third street, Northwest.
The necessary legislation is repre-
sented by bill introduced by Sena-
tor Tom Connally of Texas, chairman
of the Senate Public Buildings and
Grounds Committee.
But before Congress acts to ap-
prove the downtown location for the
much-needed auditorium it might
be we'll to investigate anew the site
proposed. Another designation, many
believe, would be desirable.
The downtown site, obviously, lies
within the boundaries of what the
Police Department calls "the con-
gested area" During the next few
years the crowded condition of the
neighborhood will be still more con-
spicuously manifest than 1t is at
present-and, frankly, it is bad
enough today. Add to the current
picture the new Municipal Center,
the new Public Library, the new Juve-
nile Court, the new Mellon Gallery,
the Social Security Building, the
Census Building and possibly several
units of the Smithsonian Institution
including a new National Gallery,
building for American history, a
building for aviation and a building
for engineering. The personnel in
volved in such a scene approximates
a hundred thousand.
Now, imagine Second, Third and
Seventh streets, Constitution and
Pennsylvania avenues on any ordi-
nary morning between seven and
nine o'clock or any uneXceptional
evening between four and six; add
to the throngs of Federal employees
en- route to or from work multitude
of visitors-say, for example, con-
vention of the American Legion or
the National Education Association
or the American Association for the
Advancement of Science or the
American Medical Association-each
individual dependent upon taxicabs,
buses and street cars for transporta-
ton to or from hotels: The result
would be chaos.
The thoroughfares and transit IA
cilities Of downtown Washington
cannot be said to be ideal for purely
routine purposes. If concentration
is to multiply the difficulties, it will
be only question Of time until de-
mand will develop for drastic decen-
tralization, leaving existing build
ings vacant and necessitating the
expense of new structures in out
lying territories.
Congress should take into account
the suggestion of the National Capt.
tai Park and Planning Commission
for an armory and sports center at
the end of East Capitol street.
The proposed seating capacity Of
this structure is set at twenty thou
sand-five thousand more than that
for the downtown auditorium. A
question logically to be asked by
Congress, is whether the two struc-
lures, for somewhat similar purposes,
could not we'll be combined into one
which could be made as handsome
and imposing as the Congress might
desire. Such a structure, placed at
the East Capitol street site, would be
not too remote for the functions
intended by the Auditorium Commis-
sion, and would be more accessible to
railroad services, convenient to
arterial boulevards now contemplated
and to parking space almost un-
limited. There is still much merit in
the practice of killing two birds with
one stone.