Evening star., 1943-09-27
Fleming Spurs Work
On New Capitol Hotel
|Servicemen' S Center

servicemen, being readied for OPEN
ing the latter part of October in the
Capitol Park Hotel, will provide
overnight accommodations for $50
to 300 enlisted men and more than
120 offlcers, a spokesman for the
Federal Works Agency estimated to-
day.
Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Philip w.
Fleming, Federal Works admins
traitor, moved to speed renovation OF
the former hotel building by author
lzlng double work shifts wherever
sufhcient workmen can be obtained.
Wrecklng crews already have rip
ped out the old bar in the basement
OF the building to make way for a
lobby and checkroom for enlisted
men, which will be entered by a
stairway leading down from the
sidewalk.
Two Lounges Arranged.
On the first floor, carpenters, plas-
terers and bricklayers are convert
ing the former lobby Of the hotel
into an officers lounge. The stair
way in the rear, directly opposite
the entrance, is being sealed off by
a brick wall SO enlisted men may go
from their basement checkroom to
their lounge on the second floor and
sleeping rooms on the second, third
and fourth floors without having to
pass through the officers lounge.
Of1cers' sleeping quarters will be
on the fifth, sixth and seventh floors.
Furnishings in all the bedrooms will
remain as they were before the re-
modelling and will be alike for offi-
GERS and enlisted men. except that
daybeds will be added to make each
room for enlisted men accommo-
date three instead of two occu-
pants.
The mezsanine floor, overlooking
the oficers' lounge, is being con-
verted into writing room Around
the railing will be draped flags of the
United Nations.
Family Quarters Provided.
Rooms have been set aside for
visiting wives and children of serv-
icemen. A nursery and emergency
room also have been provided.
While the building will not be
operated as social center, the IA
cilities will include a bar for officers
and canteen for both oficers and
enlisted men. These concessions
will be sublet by Recreations Serv-
ices, Inc, the agency which will
operate the servicemen's center in
behalf of the District War Hospi-
tality Committee.
Also operated by concessionaire
will be the hotel parking lot, which
was acquired along with the build
ing.
Postwar Opera ton Planned.
The center, to be known as the
United Nations Service Center, will
be kept in operation for several
years after the war, according to
present plans.
Meanwhile, Senator LANCER, Re-
publican OF North Dakota, an
nounced he would begin drive for
passage Of his Joint resolution to
turn the Senate garage into
dormitory for transient servicemen.
Hundreds of soldiers. sailors and
marines were counted at the station
Saturday night by an investigator
for the Senator, he said. They were
sprawled all over benches and on
the floor in the station, while about
200 others were packed into the sta
tions USO, lounge, sleeping, under
tables, in chairs, on the floor. 80
What aroused the Senator more
than anything else, however, he
said. was the action Of the military
police in awakening the men and
telling them, according to his in
vestigator, that they would either
have to accept transportation to the
Washington recreational area on the
Virginia shore near the Lincoln
Memorial Bridge, or sit up, awake
and alert.
Senator LANCER said he is joining
Representative Tolan, Democrat, of
California in support OF joint reso-
luton to turn the Senate garage
into a dormitory for transient serv-
icenen.