Evening star., 1941-08-13
War Building 'B|itz'
leavesD. Stunned
And Confused
Plon for Worlds Biggest
Office Would Affect
Washington VitaIly
Continued From First Page.)

mlSSlOnD
Special Rule Obtained.
1t is an unusual thing for Con
gresS to approve a $35,000,000 iter
for an office building even afte
years of consideration and delay
But this plan went through lik
creased lightning. When it came u
in the House a point of order wa
made against it, as legislation in al
appropriation bill. The House wa
adjourned and a special rule hur
riedly obtained from the Rules Com
mittee waving all rules and the bil
was passed. 1t was impossible t
get a separate vote on the War De
partment Building, for the bill wa
appropriating some $4,000, ,0000 90
for national defense, of which tn
War Department Building was
small part.
News of the House approval o
the plans stunned the Capital plan
ming agencies. They had not beer
consulted. They knew nothing abou
it. Even high officials of the Wa
Department, approached by report
ers on the day the bill was reporte,
out, said they had never heard o
the project.
The Park and Planning Commits
sion called a hurried meeting o
traffic and highway authorities. TIL,
President dispatched a letter tt
Senator Adams, chairman of tn,
Senate subcommittee which had tn,
bill in charge. He said:
MY Dear Senator Adams:
There is included in the first
supplemental national defense
appropriation bill CH. r, 5410
1912, now before your committee,
an item of $35, 900, 900 for the con-
struction of an Office building
across the Potomac on the site of
the former Department of Agri-
culture Experimental Farm to
house all of the activities of the
War Department. When this
project was first brought to my
attention, I agreed that it should
be explored. Since then 1 have
had an opportunity to look into
the matter personally and have
some reservations which l would
like to impart to your committee.
1T is gratifying to know that
the Congress is willing to provide
the necessary funds at this time
to construct sufficient Office space
of permanent character to meet
the expanding needs of the Gov
ernment and to permit material
reduction in the rental bill in the
District of Columbia.
While am in full accord with
this general objective of provid-
ing additional permanent space
and have no objection to the use
of the Arlington Farm site for an
Office building for the War De-
partment, I do question the ad-
visibility of constructing the
entire 100000 square feet on
the proposed site without first
being reasonably sure that the
present and proposed traffic and
transportation facilities can ac-
comodate the $4,000 employees
who will be employed in this
immediate area and that the
necessary adjustments in Arling-
ton and the District of Columbia
can be accomplished without
undue burden upon either COM
munity. In this connection, I
invite your attention to the re-
port of the National Park and
Planning Commission -.
Objection to Phase of Plan.
MY attention was also called
to that part of the report of the
Committee on Appropriations of
the House on the bill wherein it
was suggested that the proposed
project would permit the War
Department to vacate all space in
the District of Columbia includ-
ing the permanent building for
that department on the site
bounded by Twenty first,
Twenty-third, C and E streets
NV, the first unit of which
has been recently completed and
occupied, and the reassignment
of this building to the Navy De-
partment. I trust this sugges-
ton will receive further con-
sideration. 1t has been my
thought that after the present
emergency the Congress would
provide the necessary appropria-
tionS to complete the planned
development of that section lying
between Constitution avenue, E
street, and west of Twenty-fir
street wherein it is proposed to
locate the permanent home of the
War and Navy Departments.
Congress has authorized the
acquisition of all land within this
area and a large portion is now
Government owned. To defer
the completion of this plan in
definitely would constitute a
severe setback to the develop
ment of this section and result
in improved real estate values
which will materially increase
the cost of acquisition of land.
In view of the above, I believe
IL would be unwise to provide
office space on the Arlington
farm site for more than 10000
War Department employees un-
til some experience shall have
been acquired as to the effect of
concentrating so many employees
in this location. 1t may be that
upon completion of this smaller
building all interested parties
would recommend against further
expansion. On the other hand, a
more complete survey at that
time might warrant the con-
struction of additional units. In
the circumstances, I believe it
wise to proceed with a first unit
and upon its completion to re-
survey the situation and care
fully determine the extent to
which further expansion at this
location may be justified.
Il am presenting these COM
ments to you in order that your
committee may have the benefit
of my review of the proposed
project at Arlington Farms as
well as my hopes regarding the
final development of the area
west of TWenty-flrSt street be-