Evening star., 1941-11-27
lunhum Act Lesson


Out of the welter of confusion and
controversy over the right of the Dis
trict of Columbia to share with the
States in Lanham Act appropriations
for defense public works, there has
finally emerged for House action a
bill designed to assure local partlcl-
patton in the emergency benefits.
News reports tell of the measure
being rushed to the House yesterday
by the House District Committee in
belated move to enable Washing
ton TO obtain up to S6,0O0,00O for
urgent defenSe-connected projects.
This prompts the natural question:
Why the need for all this eleventh.
hour haste to see that the District
obtains it's just portion of funds
under legislation which has been on
the statute books since last June?
The answer to that question may be
found in a review of this whole de-
plorable matteE
The original Lanham Act, approved
October IA, 1910, was defense hous-
ing measure On June % of this
year Congress broadened it into an
act ito provide for the acquisition
and equipment of public works made
necessary by the defense program"
and authorized the President, through
the Public Works Agency, to make
loans or grants, or both, to any local
community where there is urgent
need for additional public works
necessary to the health, safety or
welfare Of persons engaged in ma
tional defense activities" The amend
ed act specified that such aid should
be made available to all the States
and to ANY Territory or possession
Of the United States" 1t is hard to
believe that Congress intended by
that language to exclude the District
Of Columbia, headquarters of the
Nations defense activities. Nor is
it reasonable to believe so, in view
of the fact that the Districts emer-
gency needs were discussed prom
inently at the time the measure was
under consideration. And as early
as last July the Commissioners an
nounced their intention of applying
for an advance Of S6,OOO.OOO from the
Lanham Act fund for emergency
water, sewer, health and educational
facilities related to defense eXpan-
sion. Later they asked Congress for
special legislation to permit the Dis
trlct to borrow from the fund, in the
event loans were sought in addition
to outright Federal grants. Similar
enabling legislation was required un-
der the Public Works Act.
When this enabling bill came up
for hearing several weeks ago, how
ever, the Federal Works Agency made
the amazing announcement that it
doubted whether the District was
eligible to share in the Lanham fund
and that, even If it were eligible, no
more funds were available for allo-
cation. Shortly thereafter it re-
Tented and conceded that perhaps
s2,000000 or s3,OOOOOO of leftover
money could be made available. The
agency has ruled, however. that the
Lanham Act itself contained no
clear mandate from Congress to
make provision for District projects
and that it is necessary, therefore,
to rush special legislation giving this
mandate-not only with respect to
loans, but to grants. 1t is this ena-
bling bill which the House received
yesterday. In addition, the Commits
sioners are asking that the Lanham
Act itself be amended to include spe-
cific mention of the District. This
Is wise precaution.
1t is now clearer than ever that the
District of Columbia cannot afford
to take anything for granted with
respect to legislative benefits not
specifically earmarked for it, Lack
OF such mandate" leaves the way
open for arbitrary interpretations
that serve to place the Capital at
the mercy of administrative officials,
some Of whom seem to conceive it
as outside of the jurisdiction of the
United States and beyond the scope
OF their responsibility as admins
traitors of Federal laws, despite the
fact that the Federal Government
has valid and vital obligations toward
the National Capital. Washington,
defense center of the worlds democ-
racies, is entitled to Federal financing
aid in this emergency not by suffer-
ance of any bureau or It's legal
adviser, but as a matter OF funda-
mental right. Congress should see
that this right is safeguarded, not
alone with regard to the Lanham
Act, but to all other defense legisla-
tion in which the District properly
may have @an interest.