The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-11-24

SCIleuulSs
 Originally designed as home flor the War Department, the build ing will house tho major adminis- tration offices of both combat ser- vices as result of Secretary of War Henry l.. Stimson's invitation to Secretary of Navy Frank Knox for the Navy to share space in the building.
 Stimson's invitation to Knox was based on his belief that the heads of the two departments ought to be physically close together, Stim- son felt there would be loss of personal contact If high army of ficials were in Arlington and high navy officials in Washington, across the Potomac. So he asked Knox to move over Knox accepted.
 Planned for Army First
 Under the original plan the Army would have occupied the Pentagon building exclusively, moving out of the Munitions building on Consti- tuition Ave. which has been the home of the War Department here tofore. It had been planned to turn the Munitions building over to the Navy which had been housed in the Navy Department building ad- joining. The Munitions building and the Navy Department build ing were twin emergency structures built during the last war.
 Under the new arrangements the Navy Department will be given as much space in the Pentagon build- ing as 1t had in the old Constitu- ton Ave. headquarters, while in stead of the Navy taking over the old Munitions building the Army will retain 1t and also take over the old Navy Department building.
 Secretary Knox will have his quarters immediately over Secre- tary Stimson's, with inter-com- munications. Admiral Ernest J. King, chief of Naval operations, will have the offices directly over those of Gen. George c. Marshall, chief of staff of the Army, with similar inter-connections. Such kindred functions as she public relations branches, communica- tions and intelligence offices will be adjoining.
 OverlOoks the Potomac
 The Navy Department will oc- cupy the entire third floor, and part of the second and fifth floors of the Pentagon building.
 The new home of the fighting services is a huge five-sided build ing on the hills of Arlington over looking the Potomac and downtown Washington.
 Each of the five outer faces is as long as about three ordinary city blocks. 92l feet. The inner court of the building is about six acres in extent, with each side facing the court 360 feet long.
 The building, of reinforced con- crete resting on two concrete piles, actually consists of two concentric pentagonal rings" of buildings separated by a distance of 40 feet between the two rings. The inner ring is five stories high and the outer ring four stories.
 The building is air cooled throughout. There is bus ter minal on the lower floor, and con- veniences include cafeterias, coffee stands, bank and railroad ticket office. The telephone switchboard, is said to be the largest in the world, requiring the services of 300 oper- ators and supervisors. It would serve an ordinary, city of l25,000. There are ramps, escalators and stairways rather than elevators.
 The building totals approxi- mately 100000 square feet of floor space, including 2,487,94 square feet of office space. l63.340 square feet of other types of work ing space, and 7l4,750 square feet of storage space. Building main- tenance and related activities bring the total to 100000 square feet.
 Largest" office Building
 The building is located on 320 acres originally intended for the new Alexandria Quartermaster Depot, which subsequently, was established some miles luther out from Wilmington.
 Built to accommodate 30,000 em- ployes, it is believed" to be the largest office building in the world. according to a War Depertmen; announcement. Construction was