Evening star., 1940-07-13
Housing Emergency

| Housing Emergency
Reports that Washington is facing
a housing emergency similar to that
experienced here when this country
went into the first World War are
accentuated by warning from w. E.
Reynolds, commissioner of public
buildings, who calls attention to "a
serious shortage of administrative
office space due to the demands
of the agencies now expanding
under the defense program"
There is encouragement in the
fact that the administration is be-
ginning to pay some heed to these
demands. 1t has moved to increase
the capacity of the Navy and Mu-
nitions Buildings, following up with
an order allocating the almost COM
pleted Social Security and Railroad
Retirement Board Buildings to use of
the War Department until the emer-
gency passes. These are timely
moves as far as they go. How
ever, much more should be
done. Unless the regrettable mis-
takes visited upon Washington in
that earlier experience are to be
avoided, careful consideration should
be given Immediately to an intelli-
gent working out of plans to meet
housing needs that would put this
city, itself, upon an adequate pre-
paredness basis.
The problem the National Capital
has to face in view of the tremendous
momentum with which the defense
program is forging ahead is not con-
fined solely to the provision of addi-
| tlonal Office space, whether Govern
ment owned or rented. The sugges-
ton goes beyond that to include
plan OF Federal cooperation with
local public and private interests in
providing living quarters at reason
able rentals for the thousands of
emergency workers who may be
brought to Washington within a few
months. Equally important, but
fitting in more with planning for
Federal Office space, there should be
strict adherence to a policy that
would absolutely protect and pre-
serve intact all downtown park areas
and reservations.
Civic-minded Washingtonians re-
member only too we'll the un-
slightly temporary structures per-
mitted to clutter the Mall during the
World War and the necessary but
unsuitably located Government ho-
tells for women in Union Station
Plaza. Experience proves that such
buildings are temporary in name
only as evidenced by the fact that
one of them still stands in the Mall
and others were removed only in
recent years.
BY careful and timely planning
there should be no need for Wash
ington to return to the old time, hap
hazard methods of the World War
days regardless of how much govern
mental expansion is required here.
The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission and Secretary
of the Interior Ickes, who is in con-
troll of Federal parks, may be de-
pended upon to protect such down.
town areas from ruination.
With Washington crowded as it is
after seven years Of New Deal ex-
pansion, the tendency should be to
provide emergency quarters for the
Government outside the congested
centers of the city and in its en-
virons whenever possible.
Problems such as these should be
left for determination by commit
tee of responsible officials If the
erection of new buildings is neceS-
sary Congress should authorize the
funds without quibbling. In view Of
the shortage Of suitable Office space
in Washington available for renting,
funds should be made Immediately
available for the two general Federal
office buildings proposed by the ad-
| ministration.
There are 100000 net square feet
of Office space which the Govern
ment can rent here, but only after
excessive costs for remodeling and
equipment. Mr.. Reynolds warns
that 1t consists mostly of small units,
which means that a single stable
agency would have to be housed in
perhaps score or more of buildings.
War emergency agencies cannot
function smoothly or quickly under
such conditions.
If one should read of an American