Evening star., 1943-08-27
us. Completing
Plans 10 Buy
Capitol Hotel
Place Near Station
To House Members
Of Armed Forces

pleted today for the Government
purchase of the l27-room Capitol
Park Hotel on Union Station Plaza
to be used as an overnight center
for transient enlisted and officer
personnel, both men and women.
Announcement of the forthcoming
purchase of the hotel, which will be
used instead of the proposed two
story structure for servicemen in the
same vicinity and Junior officers
service center, was made yesterday
by Baird Snyder, acting Federal
WORKS administrator.
The Government and the Capitol
Park Hotel Corp. now are negotiat-
Ing the price, which is tentatively
set at around $400, 900, and the Dis
trlct Court will be asked to approve
the figure. The center will be oper-
ated by Recreation Services. Inc.
Tor the District War Hospitality
Committee.
The. lands division of the Justice
department. meantime, filed in Dis
trict Court today a petition for
condemnation of the hotel, a pro-
cedure leading up to the final ac-
QUESTION Of the property. The ap-
plicatlon was made by Government
Attorneys Alexander H. Bell. ir.. and
Henry F. Mooney.
Transient Officer Problem.
Its purchase was seen as the first
important move toward solving the
problem of the transient junior off,
Ger who frequently is unable to find
adequate quarters, an official of
Recreation Services said. Enlisted
men have available more than. 2, 600
beds at various service centers here.
but no special service for officers has
yet been provided.
Under present plans, facilities of
the hotel will be made available to
service personnel coming here for
duty, for those stopping here for
short assignments and for service
men to catch few hours sleep be-
tween trains.
Recreation services estimated that
ISIS cots were available last week
end in Is lodging centers. 2.1o7 for
white men and 400 for colored. In
the first category, ! 1886 cots were
taken up and 223 for colored men
a total of 2,159.
Want Cot Surplus.
The total cots available includes
1.100 at the Arlington Memorial
Bridge Recreation Center. which
last week end accommodated 930
men. Army authorities explain
they would like to have a 3oO-cot
surplus in order to take care of
emergency demands from troops in
transit. Accordingly, servicemen on
leave are not referred to the nearby
area until all local facilities are
filled. ..e ,..,.-.......
During the week five centers re-
main open and are able TO take care
OF demands. Some OF these are To-
Gated in churches. and volunteers
are not available to operate them
except on week ends, it was pointed
out. 81, -
The hotel will be remodeled and
It's present sleeping capacity will be
more than doubled, according to
FWA. 1t will contain a restaurant
and canteen and will offer beds at
moderate prices.
For some time, FWA has had
under consideration the erection of
building On Union Station Plaza
for servicemen. An FWA spokesman
said the agency investigated and
found there was a definite need. It
was just about to recommend con-
struction when it was learned the
owners of the hotel were interested
in selling.
The new arrangement will thus
save materials and labor, but more
important, provide added accommo-
dations ahead of schedule, it was
pointed out.
Will Be Service Center.
Mr.. Snyder stressed that this is
distinctly not social center: it is
a service center near the station to
provide essential conveniences and
decencies to enlisted personnel and
officers" WAVES, WACS, SPARS
and woman members OF the marines
Will be afforded quarters and Mr.
snyder said an attempt would be
made to procure washing machines
and ironers for tenants.
AS now planned, persons using
the hotel will be accommodated for
only short periods and use of the
center as permanent stopping
place in the city will be DISCOURAGED
Operation will begin as soon as
the deal is concluded, tenants va
Gated and renovations made.