Evening star., 1941-08-21

When the House upheld the Pres
ident's veto of the Defense High
way Act, thereby killing the meas
ure, it also killed the goose counted
on to lay an $S,OOo,0OO golden egg
for access roads near the dream
building" the War Department
wants to build in Arlington County,
Va.
While this does not mean there
will be no more defense highway
money, since a substitute bill is being
drafted, it does mean a setback of
more than q month in the building
OF these acess roads, because no
House action can be taken on the
revised road bill until that branch
of Congress resumes normal busi-
ness September 1S.
This loss of time cannot be taken
lightly in view of the fact that all
parties to the War Department
building debate were in agreement
that If the structure were to be
completed within year in Airing
ton, approximately Is miles OF ac-'
cess roads should be ready by then
to absorb the added traffic burden
imposed by 10000 employees.
Question Aired at Hearings.
The question of access roads was
taken up early in the Senate hear
ings on the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. de-
fense bill carrying funds for the
War Department building. In ad-
vocating the Arlington experimental
farm site, Maj. Gen. r. c. Moore,
Army deputy chief of staff, de-
clared:
1T looks like the logical thing to
me, provided the traffic problem
can be solved. and am pretty sure
it can"
Later, Senator Overton, Democrat,
of Louisiana said he had been in
formed the necessary access roads
would cost about $8,000,0 900, and
asked Brig. Gen. Brehon B. Somer-
veil, chief of the construction di-
vision of the Quartermaster Corps,
where the money was to be secured.
Gen. Somervell replied that the
cost was to be borne largely by the
Federal Government" adding that
the necessary highways would be
certified by the War Department as
access roads.
The Defense Highway Act con-
tanned an item of $150,000, 900 to be
used at the discretion of the Sec
retaries of War and Navy wherever
they deemed construction vital to
the defense effort.
Assuming that similar provision
will be contained in the substi-
tute roads bill, the question still
remains as to whether the IS miles
of access roads could be built in
time to serve the War Department
building If 1t were erected in Ar
lington. The Army has said the
building would be finished in year.
Public Roads Solution.
At the Army's request, the Public
Roads Administration has mapped
several solutions. The map ac-
companying this article was made
from P. r. AS preferred" road
plan, and graphically illustrates the
magnitude of the road building
problem involved.
One of the first things P. r. A.
craftsmen had to consider in draw
ing up these road plans was the
fact that for many years the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission has been working on a
plan to increase the number and
capacity of roads in the Arlington
farm area. The planners ideas
were formulated before the War De-
partment idea was conceived.
The planning commissions pur-
pose was to design system of roads
which would facilitate the move
ment of traffic into Washington
from the South. Since this sys-
tenn would be largely scenic because
1t would encompass Arlington Gene
terry and the approaches to Highway,
Memorial and Key Bridges, the
planners designed the roads ac-
cordingly.
Thus, when P. r. A. was asked to
design roads for the same area in
terms of the War Department
building needs, it was agreed that
whatever system was established for
Arlington should b beautiful as
well a. serviceabls.
Also II was agreed that The reads