Evening star., 1941-08-30
President Sees
Depot Site for
War Building
Expected to Reveal
Final Details on
Return Tuesday

keturn ueS0oy
President Roosevelt devoted an
hour yesterday afternoon to a per-
sonal inspection of the quartermas-
ter depot site he selected for the
proposed War Department building
In Arlington, and is expected to dis
close details of the structure itself
on his return from Hyde Park,
probably Tuesday.
Accompanying the President on
the motor trip were Brig. Gen. Bre-
hon B. Somervell, Army construc-
ton chief; George E. Bergstrom,
head of the War Departments ar
chitectural unit and designer of the
originally proposed dream build
ing: Gilmore D. Clarke, chairman
of the Fine Arts Commission, and
Jaw Downer, Public Roads Admins
tration conSultant and author of the
idea of placing the building on the
depot land.
Design Agreed On.
Members of the party declined to
discuss developments of the trip,
other than to say that definite de-
cision as to the buildings space and
design had been agreed on. All
questions about how it will look
and how many workers it will
accommodate were referred to the
Chief Executive for answer.
He will tell you all about it when
he gets back from Hyde Park" Mr..
Clarke said.
Mr.. Downer represented Frederic
A. Delano, chairman of the National
Capital Park and Planning Commis-
sion. who was out of town and un-
able to be present.
The presidential party arrived
at the depot site, which lies be-
tween the experimental farm and
Columbia pike, by crossing High
way Bridge For fully a half hour
the open White House car was
parked by the roadside while the
President discussed the project with
Gen. Somervell and the others. To
get a better perspective of the 81
acre tract, they next drove to van
tage point high on the bluff at Co.
lumbia pike and Arlington Ridge
road, where the new Navy Building
Is nearing completion.
Speeds BY Other Site.
The return trip to the White House
was made by way of Memorial
Bridge, but the car did not pause
while proceeding along Arlington
Ridge road beside the experimental
farm 1t was here-directly in front
of the main gate of Arlington Gene
tery-that the Army originally pro-
posed to erect S35 100000 War
Department building.
The evening traffic rush was at
Its height during the term the Presi-
dent was on the road. 1t was thought
possible he made the trip at that
hour with the express purpose of
getting a first-hand view of the
congestion that led highway Off
cials to the conclusion that S13,-
100000 would have to be spent i'm
proving District and Virginia ac-
cess roads if an Army building for
10000 employees were to be placed
there.
The building first proposed by the
War Department was to have been
large enough for that many people.
Even if the dimension were cut in
half, as suggested by the President,
a traffic problem of no mean pro-
portions would result, highway eX-
perts say.
Emissions Windowless Building.
Earlier yesterday the President
told his press conference the build
ing was to be situated on the land
south of Arlington Cemetery Origi-
nally acquired by the Army for a
Quartermaster Corps depot. He also
said he wanted some professional
opinion on an idea he had concern
ing the building itself.
This idea, he explained, was that
the building be constructed in the
shape of a simple quadrangle, with
out windows, wings or courts of any
kind. All light would be artificial,
he amplifled, possibly of the tube
or fluOreScent type Temperature
control, both in winter and summer,
would be mechanical, the President
said
His interest in this type of
architecture, he pointed out, had
been occaSioned by the remarkable
success experienced with it in the
Far West Buildings of this sort
have proved highly efficient and
economical, he declared
The President declined to talk
about the size of the building he
had in mind. He did say, however,
that such structure had the merit
Of combining minimum overall
dimensions with a maximum OF
.-flce space.
A Solid" Building.
In discussing his idea the PreSi-
dent referred TO the building as solid.
Seeking a parallel in Washington,
some observer concluded he had in
mind a structure on the general
order of the National Museum of
Art
Some persons following the build
ing controversy declared such de-
sign could only mean the President
would carry out the wish he eX-
pressed Tuesday regarding a great
records building. At that time he
advanced the idea of constructing
building in Arlington for the Army's
temporary use during the emer-
gency. Later, he said, the Struc-
ture could be used as storehouse
for Government files, while the
Army was given permanent quarters
in another permanent building to
be put up in the District within the
Northwest Rectangle.