Evening star., 1942-04-17
Planners Yield Site
In West Potomac ParI
For Dormitories
Commission Approves
Tidul Busin Scene in
Move TO Save Mali

I'VE did 1t to save the Mall" Fed
eral planners offered today as an
explanation for their willingness to
sacrifice choice site In West Po-
tomac Park, south of the Rejecting
Pool. for housing project to ac-
commodate 2,000 war workers in So
called temporary" dormitories that
may clutter the area for years to
come.
The action by the National Capt.
tai Park and Planning Commission
marked its first approved use of a
downtown park area for dwelling
units during the present war. Sec
retary Thomas s. Settle made 1t
clear that the approval was granted
solely to keep the dormitories from
being erected in the Mall.
The Mali is our Corregidor and
we will hold it to the last" he said
in explanation of the surrender"
of the recreation area in West Po-
tomac Park. Yet there is no guar
antee. officials admitted, that the
Mall and possibly the whole remain
ing area west of the Tidal Basin
and beyond the Lincoln Memorial
may not eventually be converted to
wartime usage.
To Accommodate 1900.
The site was one of four selected
and approved tentatively, at least,
to accommodate $4,000 single man
and woman workers in dormitories.
Each site is within easy walking
distance of present and planned
Government office buildings.
Through a committee headed by
j. c. Nichols of the commission.
working in cooperation with the
Defense Homes Corp, the city is
being surveyed for sites to house a
total of $4,000 men and women. The
other three approved late yesterday
and the number that can be accom-
modated on each site are as follows:
The Arlington (Va.) Experimental
Farm, 1000 workers. Fronting the
Municipal Center on the parking
lot at Fourth street and Pennsyl-
vania avenue. 1000 workers. The
east end of East Capitol street. 1000
workers. In Suitland, Md, 1000
workers
The bridging of the Rejecting
Pool to connect the two large Office
buildings erected along each side by
the Navy Department proved the
entering wedge in approving the site
! for defense colony" in the i'm
mediate vicinity.
officials admit that If the dormi-
tories are erected there, years may
elapSs before they are removed and
| the park restored to its former
! beauty. The women'S dormitories
built on the Union Station Plaza
/ during the First World War remain
ed for many peacetime years and
were removed only to make room
/ for the fountain and other improve
mentS.
The site near the Rejecting Pool
lies between the Tidal Basin and
the former polo grounds. now con-
verted into parking space. 1t is
almost fringed by the cherry trees
along the basin. For the workers
themselves, no pleasanter site could
have been chosen. Officials visualized
them boating on the Tidal Basin
during the spring and summer and
sauntering through the park at their
leisure.
Yield Reluctantly.
1t was with great reluctance, how
ever, that the Federal planners felt
themselves obliged to yield to the
persistent pressure that is being
brought to bear in high Government
circles to divert park areas south OF
Constitution avenue for wartime
usage. Thus far. they have succeeded
in blocking plans to use the inner
panels of the Mall for either houS.
ing or automobile parking.
The site on the Arlington Farm
would be convenient to the new Wal
Department building that is being
erected in that locality. 1t lies ives
of the building and Arlington Ma
tional Cemetery. Only a portion o,
the big farm would be used If tn,
project goes through
Originally il was planned to uSs
the existing Arlington Cantonmen
to accommodate war workers, Tit
Army, however, refuses to give ul
the barracks and is planning othel
use for them.