Evening star., 1941-10-08
War BUILDING
Continued From First Page

COON to be made by widening and
beautifying Boundary Channel. The
entrance will be approached by
steep terraces.
To be built on cost plus fixed fee
basis. the building will cost approx
imately S5l,110,000," the War De-
partment announcement said, The
work OF clearing the site and provid-
ing Sunken piles for its foundation
already has begun.
The site, known as the quarter
master depot land because of the
fact that the Army originally in
tended to put up warehouses there,
lies in an area bounded by Arlington
Cantonment. Columbia pike. Ar
lington Ridge road and U. S. High
way No. l.
Three Roads TO Serve Building.
Three highways. each part of
"the general program of road i'm
provementS for the District of Co.
lumbia and adjacent regions" the
announcement said, will serve the
new structure. The roads are Co
lumbia pike, the proposed Army and
Navy boulevard connecting Colum-
bia Island traffic plaza with new
major thoroughfare south near the
nearly completed Navy Building and
a new truck highway paralleling
Arlington Ridge road, which it will
replace. and passing Immediately
east of the building.
Mapped by the Public Roads Ad-
ministration, these roads are to be
completed simultaneously with the
new building. the announcement
said.
One of the parking lots to be pro-
vided will be situated west of the
building near the intersection of
Columbia pike and the proposed
Army and Navy boulevard, and the
other will occupy portion of the
old Neutrality-suspicious. Airport, re-
Gently purchased by the Army and
added to it's Arlington reservation.
The lots will be of equal size.
The project also will include a
new water service line to the build
ing, to be brought across Key Bridge
from the Washington system, and a
new sewage disposal plant, to be
erected on the reservation.
Designated for Temporary Use.
The subject of controversy for
nearly two months after it came to
light, the new War Department
building, at the Presidents direction,
is designed for temporary use by
the Army for the duration of the
emergency. Afterward it is to be
turned into repository for Govern
ment files, while the Army is to be
provided with a new and permanent
War Department building in the So
called Northwest Rectangle within
the District of Columbia.
The Armys intention to provide
itself with new building first came
to the attention of the public last
July "a. An item of $35 1000, 900 for
its construction was contained in a
supplementary military appropria-
ton bill reported out that day by
the House Appropriations Com
mittee.
Testimony revealed the Army
planned to erect building for 40
600 employes-big enough to accom-
modate the entire War Department
under single roof"-on the
grounds of the old Arlington Ex-
perimental Farm.
The site selected was at the north
end of the farm, between the Vir-
ginia end of Memorial Bridge and
Arlington National Cemetery.
Concerted opposition to the orig
inal project included that of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission and the National Com
mission of Fine Arts.
Major objection of the planning
commission hinged on the made
quacy of access roads on both the
District and Virginia sides of the
river.
The Fine Arts Commission de-
plored the idea of placing a huge
building on land set aside years be-
fore for possible expansion of Ar
lington Cemetery, especially since
the building would interfere with the
view of the cemetery and Lee Man.
sion.
Road Costs Cited.
Road improvements in the Dis
trict and virginia coStin1 about