Evening star., 1941-01-08
Defense Needs Broaden Plans for Federal Construction Capita
Budget Recommends
NewG.A.0. and Annex
To STATE Department
President Says Space
Question Might Lead to
Temporary Buildings
Bv HAROLD B. ROGERS.

BY HAROLD b. ROGERS.
To help increase effectiveness of
the Governments drive for total
defense" President Roosevelt today
recommended to Congress a wide
spread building program in the
Nations Capital.
At a press conference on the bud
get, the President went so far as
to indicate there was a question of
space need in the city, and that
If the situation became acute, it
might even be necessary to resort
to temporary buildings.
Outstanding among the budget
recommendation were these:
A new annex to the State De-
partment, for which an appropria-
ton of $920,000 is ask to begin buy
ing the site in the square directly
north of the present State Depart
ment Building The site is bound
ed by Pennsylvania avenue, Seven
teenth street, H street and jackson
place NV.
New g. A. o. Building.
A new General Accounting Office,
TO cost eventually S9,850,000, on a
site bounded by Fourth, Fifth, G.
and H streets NV, directly north
of the old Pension Office, which
now houses the G. A. o. Congress
was asked to appropriate S5,OOO,OO0
to finish purchase of the site and
begin construction.
Completion of huge structure for
the Bureau of Economics, Depart
ment of Agriculture, to cost ST.
100000, between Eleventh and
Twelfth, C and D streets SW. An
appropria alton of S6002G0 was asked
to finish buying the block and
proceed with the structure attached
to the Bureau Of Economics Build
ing erected on part OF the site
few years ago.
A comprehensive building program
at St. Elizabeth'S Hospital, costing
$2,120,000, under auspices of the
Federal Security Agency.
Many important projects will con-
tinue without new appropriations
These include the War Depart
ment, whose second unit is to be
designed, another Federal Office
Building, top stories on the Navy
and Munitions Buildings, a Navy
Building addition, the Weather Bu-
reau, the Jefferson Memorial and
others.
Funds for Heating Plant.
Substantial progress soon toward
the new West Central Heating Plant,
to be erected on a vacant space at
the intersection of K street and
Twenty-ninth street NV, was fore
cast with the request for S2,400,O0O
in addition to the S1,500000 appro-
priated last year. The site is to be
completely acquired, construction
pushed forward and steam lines laid
to help provide more service to the
greatly expanding Federal estab-
lshment in downtown Washington.
President Roosevelt's interest in
further developing the National
Capital comes at time when he
told the Congress in his budget
message that Il have requested that
further contracts for the construc-
ton of public buildings outside of
the District of Columbia be held
in allegiance for the present"
StreSSing the necessity for ma
tional defense, he had said that
during the national emergency 1T
seems appropriate to defer con-
struction projects that interfere
with the defense program by di-
verting manpoWer and materials.
Further" he added, "it is very wise
for us to establish a reservoir of
post-defense projects to help absorb
labor that later will be released by
defense industry"
S10,869,700 List Incomplete.
When asked about holding projects
outside Of the District in abeyance,
the Chief Executive called attention
IN his message to one listing of
projects in the District of Columbia
to be carried on under the Federal
Works Agency, for which a total of
sl0,869,700 was recommended to
Congress for the next fiscal year.
This list does not include all of
the projects for the Capital, some
OF which are scattered elsewhere
throughout the budget.
Furthermore, the President indi-
Gated that there was a question of
space necessary for the Federal es-
tablishment in Washington, and
that II an acute situation arose the
Government might need temporary
buildings.
The new War Department., badly
needed by this expanding agency, is
progressing rapidly at the corner of
Twenty-flrst and Virginia avenue
NV. Half of it is to be finished in
April, the other half in August.
No new appropriation was asked
for the year 1942, but the message
authorized the commissioner of pub
lie buildings to utilize any unex-
pended balances from the S2,OOO.0O0
for the first unit for the purpose
of preliminary expenses and plans
and specifications for the second
unit"
Another important defense project
will be the so-called Federal Office
Building No. 8. Already contract
has been let for Federal Office
Building No. 2, which will arise
soon in nearby Virginia, at Airing
ton Ridge road and Columbia Pike,
at cost of about s3,200,0OO. 1t
probably will be turned over to the
War Department, or Navy Depart
ment.
Site Under Consideration.
But the appropriation made for
the year 1941 included a total of
$6 400, 900 for two such buildings.
The site for Federal Office Building
No. 8, to be located "in or near
the District of Columbia" now is