Evening star., 1941-04-30
Raze Eyesores
For New Offices,
Rich Urges
House Member Hits
Dilopiduted' Sections
In Southeast

Such "dilapidated- looking" build
ings as exist in Southeast Washing
ton would not be allowed to remain
a part of our little community at
home" Representative Rich, Re-
publican. of Pennsylvania told a
House Appropriations Subcommittee
In hearings on the 1912 interior De-
partment appropriation bill made
public today.
Mr.. Rich's statement came during
a discussion with H. P. Caemmerer,
secretary and administrative othcer
of the National Commission OF Fine
Arts, of the question of situating
Government Office buildings in
Maryland.
Mr.. Rich said it was his under
standing that George Washington
had laid out the District of Co.
lumbia for the purpose of providing
a place for Government buildings
so that they would not be interfered
with by "any State or any other
political subdivision"
Mr.. Caemmerer replied that our
commission believes in decentrallza-
ton" adding that 38 square miles
of the original District had been
given back to Virginia in l846.
Wants Eyesores Eliminated.
"1 still think there is large
amount of territory here that could
be used" Mr.. Rich asserted. Il am
thinking. too" he continued, "of all
the dilapidated-lookin buildings in
the Southeast: We would not
allow such buildings to remain in
our little community at home"
He added that if he were men,
Der of the Fine Arts Commission
he would recommend that Govern
ment Office buildings be kept in the
District and that they be put where
"these terribly unsightly buildings
are so that they could be ellml-
mated and the Government build
ings kept in the District of Co.
lumbia."
Mr.. Caemmerer went on to say that
the Fine Arts Commission believes
in developing the area east of the
Capitol. Some of the buildings in
the area, he said, "are frankly in
very bad condition" He also said
that Commissioner w. E. Reynolds
Of the Public Buildings Administra-
ton wanted to locate some of the
new Government buildings in the
section adjacent to Lincoln Park.
Although there were some poor
housing conditions in parts of that
area" Mr.. Caemmerer added, 'he
said 1t would cost a million dollars
to buy a square of land there and
he did not have that much money
to put into that. He said if we
20 out in Maryland we can buy
two or three hundred acres for that
price"
Rich Opposes Moving Out.
Mr.. Rich argued that by the time
the Government finished transport
ing "its people and its business out
there" the cost would be greatly in
creased. 81 think you ought to
start in now and see if you cannot
secure sufficient land in the city
and keep the public buildings here
where George Washington intended
them to be-" he asserted.
Under the appropriation bill, the
Fine Arts Commission requests S10.-
900, the same amount appropriated
for fiscal 1941. In making the re-
quest, Mr.. Caemmerer pointed out
that during the last fiscal year 73
official submissions by the District
buildings inspector of designs COM
ing under the Shipstead-Luce Act
were brought under the jurisdiction
Of the commission.
The act brought under the COM
missions jurisdiction a full 80 miles
Of private building area adjacent to
parks and public buildings. Mr..
Caemmerer said the law had been
in effect successfully for a period
Of 10 years and has resulted in bene-
fits both to the Government and to
private enterprise, since the act pre-
vents the erection of unsightly
structures along the areas prescribed
and frequently requires buildings to
adopt improved designs and at times
better grades of building materials" :"
Pan-American Annex.
Concerning the proposed PAN
American Union annex, Mr.. Caem-
fnerer said the commission had pre-
eented to Congress plan calling
for construction of a panel-125
feet wide and $50 feet long-which
would not obstruct the facade of
the south Interior Building.
In answer to question by Rep
resentative Sheppard, Democrat, of
California, Mr.. Caemmerer said the
cost of the project would exceed
that of the plan presented by Sec
retary of Interior Ickes by about
$4,000, adding that the difference
would result mainly from the nee
essary readjustment of public util-
tiles.
Mr.. Caemmerer told the subcom-
mittee the panel plan is in accord
with the desire of the President.
1--WE are told" he said, that the
President desires this to be called
a Pan-American Plaza, and that it
M to be embellished later on"
Necessary adjustments in the area,
he said, would be these: Closing
Virginia avenue between Eighteenth
and Nineteenth streets, with slight
diversion of the latter passing the
panel on the west side and going
down to Constitution avenue; pro-
viding a street between the Mall
and Constitution avenue, east of
the panel; closing Eighteenth street
between C street and Constitution
avenue and placing the building to
&hn mast Of thu 6iranfnr uanaral, e