Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-29
Officials 10 Protest
WPB Stoppage Of
Recreation Projects
Wender AssoiIs Order
And Cites Approval
Of Other U. S. Agencies

OlSIIlCJ NtCIedllOll DtpdlG-
ment officials were planning to-
day to dispute the authority of
the War Production Board to
issue the stop order placed yes
terday on construction of 20 de-
partment Fairgrounds and on
several other facilities planned
for the District by the National
Capital Parks office.
The stop order, it was learned,
was issued by the Facility Review
Committee of WPB. which had been
set up by Chairman Nelson of WPB
to handle the problem of certain
construction throughout the country
"detracting' from the war effort.
Capt. w. H. Smith, chairman of
the committee, said the stop order
had been issued under the general
authority of WPB.
I'VE simply cannot do everything
and still perform the necessary work
for winning the war; he declared
These projects were stopped under
the policy of a general curtailment
| OF the use of manpower and equip
ment on work not considered
sufficiently essential to the war.
The degree of essentially is
| changing" he said.
Men and Equipment Needed.
Asked where the equipment which
had been used on the Fairgrounds
would be transferred, Capt Smith
said that had not been decided.
A WPB spokesman further ex-
planned that the work has been
stopped to release men and equip
ment to general war industry rather
than to any particular project in
the District area.
ut is a general rather than a
specific order" he said. mo one
can say definitely what type of work
these men will 60 into but it GER
tainly will have to be some type of
war job like the Capital Transit Co.
or the Glenn Martin plant"
BY this general plan of stopping
! $4,000 COO 900 worth of construction
all over the country, he explained,
the WPB expects to free 100000
men to other war industries or to
strictly wartime construction.
L can't say that there is any
particular type of war construction
in the District for these men to go
into he said. but maybe there is
some in Baltimore or Virginia or
some place. We are not concerned
with that. This is a general plan"
Machinery Held Needed.
Though the projects do not &C
tually require any critical material,
an official explained, steam shovels,
trucks, graders and personnel which
could be used on war work are be-
ing used on the Fairgrounds. Most
of the work involves excavation and
| grading
Meanwhile, Harry S. Wender,
president of the District Recreation
| Board, said he thought such stop
orders should have been sent di-
| rectly to the District Recreation
Department and not to the Interior
Department, as was done yesterday.
I'm the second place." he said, ct
was to the Federal Works Agency
that we justified these projects as
war work and the stop order should
come only from them"
It Is the FWA that is charged
with making Lanham fund allot-
ments for community facilities.
AS explained by Irving C. Root,
superintendent of the National Capt.
tai Parks, constructing agent for
the Recreation Department, the
recreational projects stopped in
clude two planned by the District
department and one planned for
the District by the National Capt.
tai Parks Office. Stop orders have
definitely been issued for one of
the District Department projects,
including 20 Fairgrounds, and for
the parks project, including dozens
Of walks and bride paths. =
Third Project Delayed.
The third project, nine play
grounds planned by the District
Recreation Department, has been
partially blocked by the War Pro-
duction Board while its officials
study plans to leave six of the play
grounds half completed for the
duration and to cancel construction
1--WE are expecting an order in
structing us how to proceed on this
project" said Mr.. Root. I'VE believe
that the War Production Board will
not let us begin construction on
Fort Greble. Congress Heights and
Randall. but We believe we may be
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