Evening star., 1940-06-28
Army TO GET Two
New Buildings
For Expansion
Defense Activity
Also Brings Additional
Space for Navy
BY ROBERT BRUSKIN.

The bustling War Department
cramped for space in it's decrepit
building while fashioning a tre-
mendous rearmament program, will
take over the new Social Security
and Railroad Retirement Board
Buildings when they are completed
In September.
President Roosevelt affirmed this
news today. He said that divisions
of the Social Security and Railroad
Retirement Boards now located in
Baltimore are being asked to re-
main there in order that the Office
quarters may be enlarged for the
defense organization. The Balti>
more offices are the working places
for 4,500 employees.
Traffic to Be Studied.
To cope with the traffic problem
expected to arrive from the shift
of Government workers to an area
heretofore undeveloped for mass
public transit, the Capital Park and
Planning Commission today named
a five-man committee to develop a
transportation plan to provide ade-
quate service to and from the new
buildings.
The committee appointed by the
Planning Commission includes Capt.
H. c. Whitehurst, chief of the Dis
trict Highway Department; William
A. Van Duzer, director of vehicles
and traffic for the District; John
Nolen, jr., commission director of
planning; Allen Thorne, assistant
to the supervising architect of the
Federal Works Agency, and Fred A.
Sager, chief engineer of the Public
Utilities Commission.
The move of the defense commits
sion will be one step in a re-
shuff1ing of quarters for Govern
ment agencies which will give pri-
ority to defense needs. The Ma
tional Defense Advisory Commission,
now located in part of the Federal
Reserve Building and Munitions
Building, will share the building
with the Army.
Among the War Department Of
fees to be transferred to the new
building are those of the Secretary
of War, Assistant Secretary of War,
Chief of Staff, Adjutant General
and such other bureaus in direct
contact with the Defense Advisory
Commission, officials announced.
The Navy, likewise cramped for
space under the impetus of a vast
expansion, will take over part of
the War Departments present Off
ces in the adjoining Munitions
Building, Nineteenth street and
Constitution avenue NV. A few
Army Offices will remain in the old
building, presumably to retain liai-
son with the Navy.
The Social Security and Railroad
Retirement Buildings, stretching for
several blocks along Independence
avenue and the Mall, at Fourth and
D streets S.W., were scheduled for
completion January /, 1941, after
delay due chiefly to labor difficulties.
To speed construction SO that the
buildings would be available by Sep
tember /, an appropriation of $780,
600 was provided in the deficiency
bill. War Department funds may
be used in addition to make them
available even sooner.
Department Now Scattered.
The two buildings, which cost
$4,000, 900, are air. conditioned and
space will be provided for 10000 per-
sons.
It's 100000 square feet of space
has been architecturally arranged SO
that it is ideal for War Department
use.
Because of the immense number
of records, the Social Security Board
had planned to have less than 5000
workers in its building, while the
Railroad Board expected to move
about $500 there from its present
quarters at Tenth and U streets NV.