Evening star., 1941-08-22

|
Wednesday Assistant Secretary of
War John j. McCloy and Brig. Gen.
Brehon B. Somervell, Army con-
struction chief, made a tour of in
spection of the depot ground
1t was subsequent to that inspec-
ton that the War Department Or
dered construction work at the depot
stopped and had the Chesapeake &
Potomac Telephone Co. suspend in
stallation of a switchboard for con-
struction quartermasters and 9TH
ers on the depot project.
While the Park and Planning
Commission favors putting the War
Department Building in Washing
tons Northwest rectangle, it would
rather see it 60 up on the depot site
than on the experimental farm. The
same view is held by the Commission
of Fine Arts, both feeling that this
would remove esthetic objections to
the project, as we'll as escape block
ing future extension of Arlington
Cemetery.
Site Suggested Previously.
AS the Army proceeded with its
restudy, it was recalled that the
quartermaster depot site was sug-
gested as possible location for the
projected War Department Building
some time ago. The idea of placing
the building there originated with
Jay Downer, Public Roads Admin
lStration consultant, and was Sug-
gested to the Army by Gilmore D.
Clarke, chairman of the Fine Arts
Commission, during the hearings.
Mr.. Clarke read letter from Fred
eric A. Delano, chairman of the
planning commission, stating that
body would not object to its being
built there.
Gen. Somervell, however, objected
to the idea He declared the effect
would be to put the building in a
much less advantageous position"
adding:
The chairman of the Fine Arts
Commission thinks it is all right to
| put the War Department down
among lot of Shanties, brickyards,
dumps, factories and things of that
kind, but l think the War Depart
ment is worthy of little better
place"
Worse Traffic Problem Seen.
Asked if placing the building on
the depot site would have any pro-
nounced effect on the traffic situa-
ton, Gen. Somervell said it would
be more difficult to handle it there.
TT is three-quarters of mile
further (from the city," he ex-
planned, and it is more compli-
Gated here by reason of the ter
rain. to make an advantageous
solution of the problem Also. the
question of parking will not be
nearly so advantageous be-
cause of the different levels at
which we can work out the design
| of the building"
Placing the building on the depot
| site, however, would not solve the
problem Of approach roads. High
way officials maintain that SIS, 900 600
would have to be spent on improv-
| ing District roadways and 5000 900
on the Virginia network if build
ing for 10000 persons is to be ac-
cessible and not constitute a major
traffic hazard.
Of course, if the size of the prof.
ected building were cut in half, or
materially reduced in any way, the
traffic problem would be proportion
ally reduced.
War College Area Suggested.
The area southwest of the Capitol
to the Army War College, mean
while has been recommended to the
President as a desirable site for the
new War Department Building by
Representative White, Democrat, Of
Idaho.
This area has previously been con-
sidered with the opportunity of hav-
ing the War Department Building
backed against the War College
grounds and the opportunity of the
Government taking over and thus
improving an extensive area which
is now not we'll developed. A SINH
siar area backing against the Navy
Yard in the southeast was consld-
cred at the same time.
In a letter to the President, Rep
resentative White said:
Concerning the location OF a new
building for the War Department,
please consider the area between
the Army War College and the
grounds of the United States Capitol
on Capitol Hill Truly this is
logical location for Federal buildings
and this District can be so easily
made a credit to our Capital City"
Original Plan Criticized.
Miss James, in a letter accom-
panying the statement in which she
gave the views of the American
Planning and Civic Association,
made the following comment on the
original site proposed by the War
Department for a $35, ,000, 900 build
ing to house 10000 workers:
ut seems incredible that Congress
should thus casually authorize per-
manent buildings to house half as
many Government employees as are
now housed in permanent buildings
in the District of Columbia. 1t
has taken this country $50 years to
make plans and erect buildings to
house 100000 employees. And now
without planning and without much
consideration certainly, housing for
nearly half that number is now au-
thorized ON site which has not
received careful study and which
obviously has certain difficulties
which it will be expensive to solve,
some of which may never be solved.
After the war it will be highly de-
sirable that the permanent War
Department buildings be in the Dis
trict, which was set aside for the
sole purpose of housing the activ-
tiles of the Federal Government"
Text of Statement.
The full statement of Miss James,
prepared in California where she
is on a field trip and written before
the President had frowned on the
structure proposed for the Virginia
side of the Memorial Bridge, fol-
lows.
There seems to be some con-