Evening star., 1941-08-15

is whether to strike it out and not
have a new building at all, or to
approve 1t. AS I understand, the
Committee on Appropriations has
made no change in the House Ian
guage."
Urgency Is Stressed.
The following collOquy then en-
sued between Senator McCarran and
Senator Barkley:
Mr.. McCarran - Would the
Senator support an amendment IN
place or mine which would IN
substance-and I am saying II
rather hurriedly now-submlt the
matter to the Committee on Public
Buildings and Grounds that the
building should be placed in a place
either in Arlington County, Va, or
in the District of Columbia as the
Committee on Public Buildings and
Grounds would designate, or some
thing to that effect?"
Mr.. Barkley-"That might depend
on the urgency of the matter,
whether the urgency of the matter is
such that we could waive the ordi-
nary procedure in matter of that
sort, and also whether the matter
would be harmed by having it de-
layed by going alb initio to the
Committee on Public Buildings and
Grounds"
Mr.. McCarran THE Senator
from Kentucky will realize that the
building will be permanent one"
Mr.. Barkley-"I realize that, and
all of us realize that. And as l
drive, and as all of us drive over into
Virginia, to the home of Lee, I my
self would regret exceedingly to see
any structure erected between the
Memorial Bridge and the entrance to
Arlington Cemetery or the Arlington
estate that would mar the view.
am Just afraid there is enough
land somewhere in this vicinity on
which to erect q building OF that
sort without doing that or without
taking the chance of doing 1t.
Won't Be Ornamental.
ut is said that the building will be
only three stories high. That may
depend. Certainly it will not be
ornamental. imagine 1t will not be
an ornamental building of the sort
we would like to see built here in
the District of Columbia. 1t will be
a permanent building, no matter
what it will be constructed OF,
whether of concrete and steel or
stone or other material. But I can
not divest myself of the feeling that
in building up the Capital of this
Nation we should have some idea
and some respect for beauty and
symmetry as we'll as utility
Senator Maloney began his speech
by declaring he was surprised to
learn that the plans for the 35-acre
building which was first proposed
in the House only month ago,
are drawn and ready. Sometime
ago. the Senator said, some one ac-
cused the War Department of lack
ing imagination, and he presumed
they have now adopted a policy OF
leaving nothing to the imagination.
Not long ago they sent up 4
property seizure bill that left moth
ing to the imagination" Senator
Maloney added.
Sees Cards Stacked.
In opening the debate Senator
McCarran said he realized that on
this matter the cards are pretty
we'll stacked for the construction of
a s35 10000 building outside the
District of Columbia"
| Nevertheless, he said, he thought
the Senate should consider the in
tent of the Constitution in setting
aside the District as the seat Of the
Federal Government and its activ-
tiles. Whether Congress had the
right to cede back the Virginia por-
tion Of the original Capital, as 1t
did in 1916, is open to grave ques-
ton, he said.
Senator Mcclellan, after reading
the Constitutional provision for the
ceding of land by the States for q
capital, made this comment:
II will say to the Senator that in
my judgment, under that provision
of the Constitution, the Congress of
the United States, after having ac-
cepted the 10 miles square territory,
had no power whatever to cede back
or attempt to cede back to the
State of Virginia any part of such
territory; and, in my judgment, If
the question were raised, it would
be so held by the courts. In other
words, I think that action was
nugatory. OF course, If the Con-
gress had the right to cede that
territory back to Virginia, q sue
ceeding Congress would have the
right to cede all of the land on this
said of the river back to Maryland,
and we would have no Capital.
Calls Act Unconstitutional.
I'VE would need no 10-mile square.
We would have to give the land
back or select another site. 1t
never was so intended. 1t was An
unconstitutional act. and in my
Judgment the territory originally
included in the District of Columbia
on the other side Of the river is just
as much the territory of the United
States today as it ever was. For
that reason I do not think that the
Senator can claim that the building
proposed to be erected on the other
side of the river is not within the
District of Columbia
Mr.. McCarran-"Mr.P President, II
the able Senator from Tennessee
will convince the people of Arl-
ington County that they have not
the vote over there, and have no
right to vote, and have not had a
right to vote ever since they ceded
that portion of Arlington County to
the Federal Government, I think he
will have no trouble from that point
on, but up to that point he will have
plenty of trouble"
Let me say this" Senator Nc
Carran went on, whether Congress
had the right to retrocede (recede)
territory which was ceded by Vir-
ginia or not is in my Judgment a
question which presents a very
pretty debate. I do not know where
the question would be decided. I
doubt very much If Congress would