Evening star., 1943-05-19
III. :. Residence Halls
For Girls Inspected
BY Mrs. Roosevelt
Trip includes Arlington,
Lucy D. SIowe Hotel
And Midway Project

Three OF the Governments new
residence hall projects to house girl
war workers were inspected by Mrs.
Franklin d. Roosevelt last night.
She began her tour at the sprawl
ing Arlington Farms project, near
the Pentagon Building, where three
610-unit dormitory buildings have
been completed and seven others are
under construction. Later, she Wis
tied two residence hall projects Of
similar type for colored girls-the
Lucy D. Slowe Hotel, at Third and
U streets NV, and the Langston-
Stadium Dormitories at Twenty
fourth street and Oklahoma ave-
nue. NE.
At Arlington Farms, the largest
public war housing development in
this area, she was taken on an in
spection trip through Idaho Hall,
one of the three completed buildings.
Her guides were three of the new
halls tenants-Annie Mae Ayers of
Lexington, N. c.: Ruth Zwissler of
Chicago, and Doris Funck of Roa-
noke, Va.
Addresses Residents.
The tour through Idaho Hall in
cluded look at the laundry, baths
and kitchen and examination of sew
eral typical rooms. Mrs. Roosevelt
briefly addressed the several hun
dred girls who excitedly thronged
the central lobby, telling them that
"a woman, given the training, can
do anything that man can do"
and urging them to work harder at
their war jobs. She then had tea
with the % girls elected by their
fellow residents to govern the hall.
Mrs. Roosevelt questioned her
three guides about the expense of
living in the hall, expressing ap-
proval when they said they are able
to obtain meals at low cost in a
cafeteria on the project. Rent is
$24.50 month for a single room
and $3.50 to s24.50 a person for
double rooms, she was told. Most
of the tenants, ranging from Is to
81 years of age. are employed in the
War Department at $1,440 year.
Uncomfortable Date Booths.
Explaining that she had seen the
blueprint plans for the project, Mrs.
Roosevelt declared the dormitory
had turned out more attractive
than I thought it could" She had
special praise for the building ma
terial used, by-product of sugar
cane. and expressed belief it might
be used widely to build homes in
the postwar period.
Mrs. Roosevelt's only unfavorable
comments were directed at the
straightforward date booths" in
the central lobby and at the wooden
sliding panels to be used to cover
windows in event of a blackout.
After asking if each date booth is
supposed to hold two persons" the
Presidents wife observed that the
booths don't look very comfortable. )"
They won't permit much privacy of
conversation, she said.
Shown the blackout panels. she
told the girls to hope that no black
out occurs on hot summer night.
Later Mrs. Roosevelt told the as
sembled tenants she thought they
would like the residence hall, but
that many would find Washington
hot during the summer.
Quarters for WAVES.
Six of the 10 buildings included in
the Arlington Farms project are
being constructed to house women
war workers who have moved into
this area since July l, 1941. The
fourth building to be completed will
be ready for occupancy next week.
Idaho Hall has been occupied since
mid-March.
-Four other buildings Of the 10
are to be used as quarters for
WAVES. These halls will be COM
pleted by midsummer.
Also in the project area will be a
6o-bed inflrmary, recreation build
ing, tennis courts, stores and a
beauty parlor, which will employ
from 40 to so operators and remain
open from 8 am. until two hours
after midnight. The beauty parlor
will not be in operation until about
the first of July.
From Arlington Farms, Mrs.
Roosevelt went to the Lucy D. Slowe
Hotel, a three e-story brick dormitorv
erected by the Defense Homes Corp.
to house 322 colored women war
workers. Here she also inspected
the accommodations and talked with
tenants.
Buildings Are Filled.
Though only fraction the size
OF the Arlington Farms project. the
Lucy Slowe dormitory includes a
cafeteria. beauty shop, valet shop,
snack bar and lounge and recreation
room. The building has been filed
with tenants since February.
Final stop on Mrs. Roosevelt's tour
were Wake and Midway Halls, the
two buildings of the Langston-Sta-
dium Dormitory project. Midway,
which includes 453 dwelling units,
opened May l and is completely
tenanted. The other building. with
1895 units, is being outftted and will
be ready for occupancy within the
next week or 10 days.
The program at the Laneston-
Stadium project included music bv
an orchestra composed of girl ten.