Evening star., 1941-04-04
Cdrmody Sees
Presidenton
New Buildings
D. 6. Restriction
CompIicotes Task,
Administrotor Says

Federal Works Administrator John
M. Carmody today conferred with
President Roosevelt on the location
of six new Government Office build
ings here This action followed on
restriction being written into the
fifth supplemental defense bill pre-
venting the buildings from being
located In nearby Virginia. as origi-
nally planned, or in nearby Mary
land.
The restriction was written into
the measure carrying $4,100,000 for
the buildings before Congress COM
pleted action on the measure and
sent it to the White House late
yesterday.
In its final form the measure re-
uuires that the structures be erected
on land already owned by the Fed
eral Government in the District.
Mr.. Carmody told reporters as he
left the White House that this last
requirement had greatly complicated
the task of selecting sites. He de-
clined to reveal any locations under
consideration, but said he has as
signed a staff to the task of inspect
ing them. He added that the Presi-
dent himself had made several ten
tative recommendations.
Traffic Problem Cited.
Pointing out that the War Depart
men, the Budget Bureau and the
National Park and Planning Com
mission are all directly concerned.
Mr.. Carmody said that he has asked
each agency to be represented in
the preliminary selections of sites.
He added that no recommendations
will be made without unanimous
agreement.
The administrator cited the traffic
problem as one of the major con-
Germs in locating new office space
within the District limits.
A representative of the Public
Buildings Administration conferred
earlier with Mr.. Carmody on the
sites.
The original provision authorized
the public building authorities to go
beyond District boundaries, and it
is understood consideration was
being given to use of the Expert
mental Farm area in nearby Airing
ton County. The conferees elm
mated that locality, however, by
specifying that the buildings be in
the District. Chairman Reynolds
of the Senate District Committee
took the lead in urging that the
buildings be placed in Washington,
The plan is to build six frame
buildings, two stories high and con-
tanning 100000 square feet of space
for expanding Federal agencies here.
Big Study Authorized.
Meanwhile, a special subcommit-
tee of the Senate Public Buildings
and Grounds Committee. headed
by Senator Taft, Republican. Of
Ohio, has been authorized to begin
a comprehensive study Of all exist
ing laws relating to the construction
of public buildings here, to deter
mine whether they are adequate to
insure systematic planning OF fu-
ture developments.
Senator Reynolds took the floor
in the Senate to point out that there
Is space in the District to meet the
new building needs of the Govern
ment for the next quarter OF a
century. He was backed up by
Senator Overton of Louisiana, in
charge of District appropriations in
the Senate.
Although Senator Taft did not
take part in the discussion on the
floor, as a member of the Public
Buildings and Grounds Committee,
he began to look into the general
statutes governing Federal buildings
In the Capital to find out to what
extent they provided for spreading
the public building area into nearby
States. Appointment of the special
subcommittee yesterday to survey
the whole subject resulted from
questions asked by Senator Taft in
the Public Buildings Committee.
Senator Reynolds had suggested
on the floor that there are areas of
considerable acreage in the vicinity
of the War College and at the Sol
diers' Home.
Purpose of District Cited.
Senator Overton pointed out that
the purpose in creating the District
OF Columbia was to have a territory
wherein all public buildings would
be erected and over which the Con-
gress of the United States would
exercise exclusive jurisdiction, rather
than to have them in outlying areas
where State sovereignties would ex-
ercise Jurisdiction over them" Erec-
ton of public buildings beyond the
District boundaries would defeat
that provision of the Constitution,
the Louisiana Senator said.
Chairman Maloney of the Senate
Public Buildings group also has
named a separate subcommittee to
consider the bill to authorize the
Pan-American Union to erect new
Office building near its present head
quarters. This subcommittee il
headed by Senator Andrews, Demo-
crat, of Florida, and includes Sem
ators Green, Democrat of Rhode Is
land and Brewster, Republican, of
Maine. The controversy over this
bill revolves around the proposal to
close streets in the vicinity of Eight
eenth and Virginia avenue in order
to keep the building from blocking
the view Of the new Interior Build
ing.