Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-11-12

Impetus Is being given this week to
the initiation Of q city-wide movement
to interest the Congress in authorizing
construction of great stadium or
coliseum in Washington as an appro-
pirate national war memorial to serve
the democratic needs OF q community
that rightly belongs to the whole Ma
ton.
Sponsored by the Board of Trade and
approved by the District Commission
ers who have proclaimed this to be Ma
tional Stadium Week, the revival of
this years old idea of q national sports
and civic center comes at time when
both Federal and local governmental
agencies are planning for an era of
unprecedented postwar development in
Washington.
National Stadium Week will culmi-
nate in q representative mass meeting
Saturday night at o'clock In Depart
mental Auditorium, on Constitution
avenue, under auspices of a special COM
mittee of the Board of Trade. All local
business, civic, labor, religious and fra
ternal organizations are being invited to
provide solidarity behind a plan de-
signed to create in Washington CEN
ter of international as well as national
and local character as would beflt the
Capitals position in the world Of to-
morrow.
Floyd D. Akers, chairman of the spe-
cial Board of Trade Committee, sees
many impelling reasons why stadium
capable of seating perhaps 100000 spec
tators from all over the world for Olym-
pic games and hemisphere games, an
International Eucharist Congress or
Boy Scout jamboree, should strike re-
sponsive note in and out of Congress.
Why Stadium Is Needed
But there are two special reasons
which the Board of Trade Committee
emphasizes at this time.
When peace returns to war distract
ed world there will come the inevitable
flow of bills in Congress to establish
monumental memorial to the men and
women Of America who gave their lives
in the service of their country. What
more suitable memorial could be erect
ed here, it is suggested, than one of
unitarian nature dedicated to the COM
petitive craftsmanship of the youth of
America and the free assemblage Of
democratic peoples in the interest of
peaceful pursuits?
The other reason is based on the we'll
founded assumption that some form of
universal military service, as outlined
recently by Gen. George c. Marshall, Is
likely to be adopted after the war as
form of national security. There should
be a plan developed now for place in
Washington for public demonstrations,
drills and competitive sports of all kinds,
Mr., Akers believes.
Military Training Arena
1t is entirely logical to assume that
when the youth of America is compelled
to give one year to the Army number
of large military training camps will be
established or retained in the various
geographical regions of the country. One
can hardly imagine national military
training program in this country with
out its counterpart in competitive ath-
letics of all kinds, the value of which
has been recognized in the performance
of American youths in this war in the
air, on the land and sea.
The Board of Trade, therefore, hopes
Washington may be granted a great
military athletic competitions can meet
here for the football, baseball, or even
boxing championships of the service.
A logical site for a great sports and
civic center in the Nations Capital is
at the end of East Capitol street, in the
opinion of the National Stadium Com
-mittee and those Federal officials who
have given the matter study over long
period of years.
That is the area marked in prewar
years by the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission for development
as a community recreational center and
it has been given high priority rating
in the postwar development plans for
Washington.
President Favors Site
President Roosevelt has long been
conversant with these plans so closely
related to the future development of
East Capitol street. Back in 1889, when
there was strong agitation to locate
the proposed new Armory in the South
west section, near the War College, Mr..
Roosevelt personally interviewed in be-
half of the site it now occupies. AS he
pointed out then, it seemed the more
favorable location in view of plans to
build stadium and recreational area
there at some time in the future.
Few people realize that at the end of
East Capitol street lies one of the finest
potential sports areas capable of de-
velopment within the limits of any
metropolitan city in this country. In
the area bounded by Nineteenth street,
the Anacostia River, Benning road and
Pennsylvania avenue, the Government
already has acquired about $50 acres of
land and beautiful Kingman Lake-an
area of So acres for water sports of all
kinds.
Here the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission has blue
printed" great stadium or coliseum, as
one feature of comprehensive program
Of recreational and civic usage.
Origin of Plan
The idea of stadium for Washing
ton goes back, officially, to the earliest
years of the Planning Commission