Evening star., 1941-08-03
War Building
Plan '0utrage,'
Arts GroupSaYs
Project in Arlington
Is Denounced us
Blot on Landscape
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
Supplementary military uppro-
priation bill, reported by House
committee, reUealed on July "a q
project for a $4,000, 900 Struc-
ture on the grounds of the old
Experimental Farm in Arlington
County, Va. Despite fact the
project UGS originated by the
War Department before the COM
mittee tDithout going through the
Park and Planning Commission,
the Fine Arts Commission or the
Budget Bureau, the House passed
the bill containing the project.
1t is noD before Senate sub
committee.
The gigantic $35, 100000 War De-
partment Building which the House
proposes to locate on the Arlington
Experimental Farm site was de-
nounced yesterday as an outrage
from an aesthetic standpoint and a
blot upon the landscape" by the
Fine Arts Commission, which said
the location had been selected III
flagrant disregard" for long -consid-
cred plans to use the land for the
expanding needs of Arlington Ma
tional Cemetery.
The commissions view was COM
municated in letter to the Senate
Appropriations Committee, a SUBJ
committee of which is scheduled
to hold hearings this week on the
project. On Friday the commission
in a statement, criticized the pro-
posal, pointing out the effect il
would have on the plans for Arling-
ton Cemetery.
There already is a marked
tendency there to crowd the graves
the commission said. recalling that
the World War had increased the
number of graves greatly and also
had given the right to burial tc
more than a million men.
Text of Letter Given.
The text of the arts commission
letter follows:
The Commission Of Fine Arts
have watched and guided the de-
velopment Of the District OF CO.
Mmbia and its immediate environs
for more than 80 years, during
which time the members spared no
effort to make clear their convic-
tions with respect to proposed de-
velopments. At this time, when the
country is in the grip of a national
emergency, this commission views
with distress the proposal Of the
War Department 10 erect a group
Of buildings upon 81 acres OF land,
which, for 20 years. has been
definitely and officially designated
as a great park for the burial of the
honored dead of the Army and Navy
of the United States.
"The erection of these buildings
at the main entrance to the sacred
burial place for the Nations heroes
is, in our judgment, fagrant dis
regard of policy of long standing,
approved by duly constituted rep
resentative of the War Department,
the Quartermaster General. and the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission, as well as by this COM
mission.
Forty thousand persons, proposed
to be accommodated in these build
ings, constitute population as large
as Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 1t is proposed
to place, this city at the portals of
the Arlington National Cemetery,
thus resulting in the introduction
of IS acres of ugly fiat roofs into the
very foreground of the most majestic
view of the National Capital that
obtained from point near the
Tomb of Maj. LEnfant, the archi-
tect of this city. or from a situation
in front of the historic Arlington
Mansion. And from the majestic
terraces which surround the Lincoln
Memorial the visitor to the most
beautiful Capital City in the world
will look down upon these same
fiat roofs covered with many ugly
but necessary vents and pipes.
Plan Called Outrage
1T is inconceivaDle that this OUT
rage could be perpetrated in this
period of the history of the de-
velopment of this city. a city held
in the highest esteem by every
citizen who visits it. In our opin-
ion this emergency does not war;
rant the destruction of an import
ant part, the foreground if you
please, of the central composition
of Washington.
Should we abandon all aesthetic
considerations in this city's de-
velopment because of the emergency
when there are other equally salts
factory means for solving the prob
lem of housing the War Department? 7?
Are we going to create a blot upon
the landscape which can probably
s2I~