Evening star., 1942-02-19

secretary OF Interior IckeS today
served public warning on the Dis
trict Commissioners and others that
he will resist any proposal to use
the Mall panels and drives for
emergency automobile parking.
Mindful Of the temporary office
structures now bing built on down.
town park properties and bordering
the Lincoln Memorial rejecting
pool, he directed Federal park Off
cials to vigorously oppose" this new
movement to convert the central
area of the Mall into a vast park
ing lot for the duration of the war.
The matter was brought officially
to his attention by Associate Di-
rector A. E. Demaray of the National
Park Service who sought and
promptly obtained the Secretary's
backing in an effort to block the
movement. Mr.. Ickes last year
succeeded in preventing Secretary
of Navy Knox'from making a SINH
lar use of the Monument Grounds
facing Constitution avenue, al
though that area is now marked
for three temporary Office buildings.
Entertainments Protested.
"a concerted effort" is now being
made, Mr.. Demaray warned the
Secretary, to undo all the work that
has been done in the central Mall
area in recent years. Members
nf TnnnrncC tho n4opl ~
missioners of the District of Column
bia, and the Washington Board of
Trade are among the organizations
which have Endorsed this move
ment," he warned.
The National Park Service, which
has supervision over the Office of
National Capital Parks, submitted
memorandum which outlined
broad reasons for opposing such use
of tthe Mall area. The matter also
is due to come before the monthly
meeting of the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission to-
day or tomorrow. That group al
ready has protested encroachments
on park properties in downtown
Washington.
Park officials said the additional
load of an estimated 1880 automo-
biles which the Mall area could ac-
commodate would result in hopeless
congestion" of traffic now using
Constitution avenue and other main
arteries.
VNnurvI Ersr Do
Other points raised in the report
emphasized the following:
The conversion of the Mall into
a parking area would cancel en-
tirely any benefits to be derived
from fringe parking, the relief of
traffic congestion on the main down.
town arteries authorized by Con-
gress and urged by the Commission
ers.
Use of the Mall drives is essen
tial to the orderly flow of motor
bus and peak hour traffic and park
ing on the drives would result in
more serious congestion than now
exists.
Paving Of the center panels Of
the Mall, necessitating the removal
of a costly grass-sprinkling system
and making other former expendi-
lures worthless, would bring the
entire cost Of the project to $780,
800 Only 3,700 cars could be ac-
commodated within the center panel
strip from Third to Fourteenth
streets.
Corrective Policies Cited.
Certain corrective policies such
as the imminent tire shortage and
possible restriction of the gasoline
supply, it was suggested, will auto
matically eliminate the daily use
Of large proportion of privately
owned vehicles.
The campaign to require the
doubling up of riders. travelling to
and from work in private cars,
also is counted on to reduce the
number now in use.
Because of the vital interests at
stake. Mr.. Ickes gave his consent to
the National Park Service TO make
It's memorandum public.
Park officials have been studying
traffic problems in downtown Wash
ington in cooperation with other
agencies and scof at the suggestion
of Representative Dirksen, Repub-
lican, of Illinois that $4,000 auto
mobiles could be Accommodated in
the Mall area. Parking space has
M In fhn
central area. Even with that re-
striction, park officials pointed out,
the traffic congestion at all times of
the day is increasing.
Pointing out that the National
Park Service is opposed to parking
in the Mall. Mr.. Demaray submit
ted the following summary:
THE Congress recently has estab-