The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-04-23

4. Living Space
Badly Needed
in w ashington
BY Charles p. Stewart

BY Charles p. Stewart
IL ever there was a crazy boom
town in modern history 1t is pres
entday Washington.
once lived out west, when IT
was growing up. II grew too rap
idly for comfort. Accommoda.
lions were inadequate. Visitors
had to sleep on floors, with blau-
kets over them. Separate rooms
were lacking, but. If you would
bunk in, you could get a ceiling
over you. There was chow
enough. Provided the railroads
couldn't accommodate you, you
could get a stag coach. | once
attended session of the South
Dakota legislature where there
wasn't hotel accommodation, but
they provided us with tents II
was zero weather. However, no.
body hollered. Il wasn't overly
tony but il was common to all
OF us II wasn't disgraceful 10
exist like a hobo Nearly all of
as did it, had a tent for
awhile adjoining a lieutenant
governors.
You can't do this in today's
Was hington, though.
] do fairly well, having a mort.
gagged shack out in the suburbs,
clear beyond the District OF Co
lumaia. acquired it before the
rush started.
But | have had multimilliOn-
aires drift in Of late. and thank
full to accept the humble one.
apartment cubbyhOle am able to
offer to them, provided ! didn't
have too many previous applica-
tious.
II isn't Washington alone that's
bullying. The congestion slops
over into adjoining Virginia and
Maryland-yes, and Jersey and
more distant ,reas.
lllustratiyely take my little
burg of Alexandria, mere ham
let until the current influx start
cd. Right on the Virginia side of
the Potomac tout in the country
until comparatively a few days
ago. is the War Department.
Pcntagon, the worlds largest Of
fee building II is workers head
quarters for thousands and thous-
ands-a big city all by its lone
some.
The entire region is similarly
infested.
What II does to transportation
Is a plenty.
The lack OF desk space and
omnibus standing room. though,
isn't what plays essential hades.
There is an urgent requirement
for living space.
For instance. Washington, hay-
ing grown so fast hitherto, has
not Coyerage for its dwellers. 1t
always has been a "slum city. II
is full OF fire risks. Every little
while one of them is realized and
a few folk are burned to death.
Naturally that causes a yowl and
a demand for regulation But it
CAN'T be regulated; new build
ing can't be dictated fast enough.
SO We keep on consuming them.
Eating places do not want your
business. They not only done
want your fair proportion OF
points; they don't want ANY.
You are lucky to get a sufiiciency
10 meet the simple points OF
nature.
1t Just Is local famine. n
you get your stuff you are wei
come TO get out and eat il on
the curbstone. Inside there aren't
seats for you.
! don't think the pressure Is
national; ! think it's Washing
tonian.
What hurts Is that certain
classes are privileged.
Officialdom is taken care OF.
As you might expect. that kind
OF family gets privileges.
So does diplomacy.
Legations and embassies are
fed until they cant rest. have
heard them discussing il. They
say. How can their own coun-
tries be so skimped, when, at
home. they are starving
In general, our public outfits
are taken care OF amply.
They get plenty to cat and
more, too.
So do our diplomats
That's the trouble with Wash
ington. 1t has been provided for
in advance.
Imagine a diplomatic hcadquar-
lcrs shy on rooms and feed,
Did ] ever hear Of one Of them
being chased out into Virginia or
Maryland? Not so you could no.
tice H.
We'll, Il Is war town
And it Is worse than a boom
town
A boom town is progressive
into something better. A war
boom town, Murder