Evening star., 1939-08-01

controversy lOOmed today over the
question of architectural services on
the new District of Columbia Ma
tional Guard Armory for East Cap
itol street.
Waddy B. Wood, well-known ar
chitect of this city, planned to press
his claims that he should have had
the contract for both architectural
and engineering services on the job,
which he says the District promised
and then took away from him.
While the Commissioners declined
to be quoted personally, it was
learned that District officials have
taken the position definitely that
the building shall be designed by and
erected under supervision of the mu-
nicipal architect, Nathan C. Wyeth.
The dispute broke late yesterday
after Mr. Wood had called in person
on both Commissioner Allen and En-
gineer Commissioner McCoach to
press his claim. He was disappointed
in his mission, however. Afterward
he made public his position by dis
closing letter written to the Com
missioners by his counsel, Joseph A.
Cantrel, in whose hands he has
placed the matter.
Says Sultan Gave Promise.
Briefly, Mr.. Wood claims that he
had been promised the work by for
mer Engineer Commissioner Dan I.
Sultan. The architect declares he
accepted Commissioner Sultan's
proposition, and that constituted a
contract
On the other hand. the District
Commissioners in their answer to
Mr. Wood are known to have denied
they had a contract with him. They
still intend. 1t is understood, to pro-
ceed with the architectural services
of the municipal architect. The
position they take, 1t was learned.
is that the project for which Mr..
Wood did preliminary work was
under previous program by which
the District hoped to get P. w. A.
funds for an armory. But the p
w. A. refused to provide funds for
the armory and that project died
Trying new means of getting an
armory. District officials went to
Congress and obtained the new prof.
ect in the current Supply Act. 1t
authorizes expenditure of $2,750,-
900 for the building at the foot of
East Capitol street, in an area COW
ering about six city blocks. OF this
amount Congress appropriated $780,
900 to start work. The act stipulates
that only $4,000 may be used for
plans.
Mr.. Wood, through his counsel,
on the other hand contend that the
correspondence between Col. Sultan
and the architect finally effected q
complete contract"
Mr.. Wood was approached by Col.
Sultan without solicitation of any
kind on the part of the architect,
| the lawyers letter states. Data as
to fee and other matters were to
be submitted on or before July 20,
1888, under plan whereby archi-
tectural and complete engineering
services would be performed by the
architectural consultant.
Col. Sultan was said to have out
lined a specific arrangement for the
armory project, setting forth the
fee proposed to be paid by the Com
missioners of 38 per cent of the
construction costs thereof"
In his letter the Engineer Com
missioner was quoted as having said
that any preliminary arrangements
were on contingent basis, and that
"a contract ;. will be prepared If
and when funds are made available
and will be submitted to Mr.. Wood
The architect accepted terms of the
offer in writing, thus "effecting q
complete contract"
For the entire past year." said
his letter, 'Mr. Wood has labored
| diligently in connection with this