Evening star., 1941-08-19
War BUILDING
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War Building
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be over a body of water. via one
direct bridge head, two fairly near
by, two others at such distance as to
be discounted altogether.
1T is submitted that the pres
ent traffic load at the rush hour
is all that these bridges can carry
as may be verified readily.
1T is submitted that it will be
impossible to provide either addi-
tional bridges or tunnels within
the period when they will be
most needed.
1T is submitted that destruc-
tion of one or more bridges by
bombs dropped from above or
deposited from below would ham,
per the functioning of the War
Department far more than de-
centralizat ton.
1T is submitted that the place
ment of vital war time function
on the opposite side of river
from its operating staff is op-
posed to every sound principle Of
planning.
49, For generations Washington
was allowed to grow topsy-turvy.
In 1900 a beginning was made to
bring order out of chaos by estab-
fishing a definite plan. In 1926. a
planning commission was created
to centraliZe the planning and de-
velopment work of II unrelated
agencies. This commission met with
War Department planners, street,
traffic and transportation experts
and reached agreement on ra-
tional development. Their findings
have been negatived by the very
type of independence of planning
which has brought grief to Washing
ton in times past. The War Depart
ment project is in violation of the
orderly, democratic procedure which
its raison d'etre is to preserve.
Pleads for Planning.
ut is not too late to reconsider, to
force reconciliation of opposing
viewpoints, to find quickly a sound
solution of the present problem. The
Washington Building Congress has
no suggestion to offer, holds no
brief for any particular site-but it
pleads for planning by planning
technicians as opposed to the over
riding of authority by any SPECIAL
interest, even the War Department
on the verge of war. The Building
Congress claims for the planning
agencies constituted by Congress
the maintenance of the centralized
planning authority which the War
Department is overthrowing to OBJ
tain Capitalization of its bureaus.
And in the name of planning, in the
interests of national defense, the
Washington Building Congress urges
the President to veto the proposal
and that the War Department be
asked to reconsider the whole sub
ject of extreme centralization with
its possible by-products of isolation
and of focused attack.
(SignedD JAMES r. SKINKER,
President the Washington Build
ing Congress.
Meanwhile, an article from The
Star of last Wednesday, discussing
problems raised py the $35 900 900
War Department building proposal,
was placed in the Congressional
Record today by Representative
Hull, Progressive, of Wisconsin,
In an extension of remarks ac-
companying the reprinted article,
headed War Building Bhtz Leaves
Capital Stunned and Confused"
Mr. Hull said
Notwithstanding the opposition
of President Roosevelt and that OF
the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission and the Fine
Arts Commission, the hastily con-
sidered amendment tackled on to
the $4,000 900 900 defense bill in the
House providing s35,OO0,O0O for a
new War Department Building on
the Virginia side of the Potomac
River, seems about to become law.
The Senate, with large number OF
members absent, refused by vote
of q to 20 to reduce the amount.
and the bill passed without a record
vote.
THE unusual procedure of max
ing such an appropriation by this
House without previous authorize
ton was brought out in my protest
against it when the measure came
up on July 28 The Washington
press has published many columns
in opposition to the project of erect
ing the largest office building in
the world at time when our ma
tional defense is demanding bill
lions for its program and when the
Use of steel, copper and many other
commodities which will be required
for such a structure are being 9TH
erwise restricted in order to pro-
tect the manufacture and construc-
ton of planes, ships, guns, ammu-
milton and so forth. so badly reed
ed for national defense
Mr.. Hull said he would call par
ticular attention to the ultimate
cost of the proposed building, when
to the $35 900 900 there will be add
ed the expense of new roads and
streets, alterations of present drive
ways and probably not less than
two more bridges across the Po-
tomac River"