Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-06
Funds Rushed
For Military
Housing Needs
Separate House Bill
Provides $50, 000l 900
Above Defense Sum
BY NELSON SHEPARD.


An emergency appropriation of
S100,000,000 to relieve housing short
ages at expanding Army, Navy and
Marine Corps posts, the acuteness
of which is said to be impeding the
defense program, will be made
available in few days when con-
gressional action is completed on
the $5,250,000,000 national defense
bill
The way was paved yesterday
when the House approved guard
edly worded Senate amendment de-
signed to give the War and Navy
Departments the controlling voice
over the erection of defense housing
for the families of enlisted men and
civilian workers. With the Senate
primed for final action on the con-
ference report, the service depart
mentS will lose no time in forward
ing their recommendations to the
White House.
According to estimates furnished
Senator Wagner, Democrat, of
New York from the Budget Bu-
reau, the Navy Department on Au-
gust 10 reported a need for $4,000
additional dwelling units, and the
War Department stated its need at
that time as 10000 units. In add1-
ton both departments estimated the
expansion of industrial industries
as of that date would require the
erection of another block of 10000
units to provide dwelling facilities
for workers engaged in defense &C
tivities.
Separate Bill in House.
Pending in the House is a sep
arate bill appropriating Sl50,OOO,OOO
for housing industrial defenIe work
ers, which was reported yesterday
from the Committee on Public
Buildings and Grounds. Unlike the
amendment affecting the three
armed services directly, it gives
Administrator John M. Carmody of
the Federal Works Agency discre-
tionary authority to assign the con-
struction work to any of the va
rious agencies under his control.
Back of both 0 ftheSe two pro-
posals for defense housing was a
determined effort to shove the
United States Housing Authority
out of the picture, or at least to
safeguard the appropriations so that
other building agencies also might
participate. The U. S. H. A. al
ready is engaged in financing the
construction of II defense housing
projects approved by the President.
Most of them we're recommended
by the War and. Navy Departments,
which requested the U. S. H. A. to
take the job off their hands.
Door Is Still Open.
The 100000 900 amendment to the
national defense bill. however, does
not completely close the doors to
U. S. H A.
1t authorizes the President to al
locate needed sums to the two Serv-
ice departments for temporary dwell
ings, to be constructed and operated
under the direction of the Army,
Navy and Marine Corps. But it also
directs housing ALLEGATIONS ito such
other agencies of the United States
as the President may determine upon
the recommendation of the Secre-
tary of War or Secretary of the
Navy" or for loans for the con-
struction of such projects at such
interest rates as the President may
fix"
Dwelling facilities for the FAM
oF o,o1ictnI ond piITi1Io N
employees of the Army, Secretary of
War StimSon recently informed the
White House, are needed immediate
ly in and about Montgomery, Ala;
Fort Knox, KY; Tampa, Fla; Nc
Chord Field, Wash; Aberdeen Prov
ing Ground, Md, and Benicia Ar
senal, Calf. The housing is needed
now, Secretary Stimson said, not
only because of the acute shortage
which impedes the defense pro-
gram, but also because the neces-
sary housing will not be provided
otherwise than as herein recon-
mended"
Out of its own "recaptured" funds
and savings, the U. S. H. A., which
is the only agency thus far to en-
gage in defense housing, has seven
additional projects proposed for
presidential approval. All but one
of these are for enlisted personnel
of the Army and Navy. A project
also is proposed for Bridgeport
Conn, to house workers in airplane
plants
Lack of Harmony Seen.
Activities of various agencies be-
hind the scene of defense housing
caused Senator Connally, Democrat,
of Texas to remark in the Senate
that there was an entire lack of har-
mony.
Every little bureau and depart
ment is jealous of its Jurisdiction,
and when anything shows up which
looks like meat in the pot, they all
want it." he declared.
Largely at his insistence, the Sem
ate Worded the housing amendment
so that no individual agency would
be given the exclusive right to erect
homes
A general attack on the amend
ment was expected in the House, but
1t failed to materialize. Represent
alive Taber, Republican, of New
York, who is one of small group
that has persistently opposed the U.
S. H. A, opposed the amendment.
He launched a criticism of the Fed