Evening star., 1940-10-27
New Plan 10 Close
Virginia Avenue
Secretly Pushed
Pon-Americon .Annexes
Would be Built on Site
Near Interior Department
By RUDOLPH KAUFFMANN. II.

BY RUDOLPH KAUFFMANN, IL.
A new plan is being pushed Sc
cretly to close Virginia avenue
NV. between Constitution avenue
and Nineteenth street NV. and to
build on the square south of the new
Interior Building two Pan-American
Union anneXes, it was learned yes
terday.
The new plan was approved by the
National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission. which drew it up,
at its October meeting little over
q week ago. 1t has been forwarded
to DR.. L. S. Rowe. Pan American
Union director general. 1t has not,
however, been acted upon by the
Board of Governors of the Union.
The Park and Planning Commis-
sion did not make public the fact
that it had approved new plan for
the annexes at its October meeting.
Thomas S. Settle, commission Sec
retary and legal representative, said
yesterday he would neither "afi1rm
nor deny" the fact.
Rowe Silent on Plan.
DR.. Rowe said yesterday that he
had received a new plan but added
he would not reveal any of the de-
tails He said that would have to
come from the planning commits
sion.
From another source, however, 1t
was learned that the plan involves
the use of the entire square lying
between Constitution avenue, Eigh-
teenth, Nineteenth and c streets
NV. and calls for the closing OF
that section Of Virginia avenue, con-
sidered one of the Districts vital
traf1lc arteries, where 1t bisects the
South Interior Square.
Once the avenue is closed the
commissions plan calls for con-
struction of two l60x60-foot Pan
American annexes. one fronting on
Eighteenth street and one on Nine
teenth street NV. Between the
two would be an open area, approx
mately 200 feet wide. which would
preserve the vista Of the New IT.
terror Department from the south.
The original annex plan, which
was authorized by Congress in 1929,
called for the erection of any annex
Or anneXes on the land bounded
bv Virginia avenue. Constitution
avenue, Eighteenth and Nineteenth
streets NV.
Secretary Ickes, seeking to pre-
serve the fine view of his depart
ment afforded from Constitution
avenue, opposed this plan because
the annex would have fronted on
Constitution avenue and thus
blocked a full view of the Interior
Department.
Mr.. Ickes discussed the matter
with President Roosevelt and the
original plan was allowed to lapse
despite the fact the Pan American
Union had congressional authority
TO start construction of the annex
Immediately.
Later Mr.. Ickes recommended
legislation to Congress which would
have repealed the original authori-
Zation to construct the annex on the
Constitution Virginia Eighteenth
Nineteenth plot. This legislation,
however, never was acted upon.
Other Plans Worked Out.
When it became evident that
opposition to the original plan was
too strong to overcome easily, the
Park and Planning Commission
endeavored to work out another.
The commission, and particularly
Henry v. Hubbard, its landscape
architect member, worked out sew
eral. All would have blocked of one
or more of the streets involved and
most called for closing Virginia
avenue.
When these plans were announced
to the public storm of opposition
arose, particularly from the District
Highway Department and the De-
partment of Vehicles and Traffic.
Both opposed any street closing
plan on the ground that all the
streets involved and particularly
Virginia avenue were vital traffic
arteries. Thousands of cars use
Virginia avenue during the rush
hours. In addition, District officials
pointed out at the time. large public
utility trunk lines on Virginia ave-
nue. would be expensive to move.
As the controversy progressed,
President Roosevelt himself took a
hand in attempting to solve the
problem of building an annex which
would neither close any vital streets
nor spoil Secretary Ickes vista.
One day he took pencil and pad in
hand and sketched for reporters
his solution.
Project Allowed to Lapse.
AS time went on, however, the
annex project was allowed to lapse
A reliable souce said yesterday
that the principal reason for the
secrecy under which the Planning
Commission has been drawing up
Its new plan was that it did not
want to encounter the controversy
which surrounded the drafting of
former plans.
Since 1929 the American
Union has held off. building its
proposed annex, although it has
had the right to do so at any time,
along lines which would not close
the avenue but might spoil the
Interior Department view.
New Troinino Planes