Evening star., 1945-08-09
Planners Agree
On Location for
Federal Court
Bills to Be Filed Seek
Building on Site of
Proposed Auditorium

today on plans to locate the nev
Federal court building for the Dis
trict on the huge parking lot di
rectly south of the Municipal Build
ing, reserved for years as the sit,
of the proposed Capital Auditorium
Bills will be introduced wher
Congress reconveneS next October
to authorize the construction of tn,
long-needed court building on thi'
District-owned site, bordered b,
John Marshall place, Constitution
avenue and Third street NV. Thi.
assurance was given all interested
parties by congressional leaders.
Breaking of deadlock that fol
while threatened to block thu
plan came at the closing monthly
meeting of the National Capita
Park and Planning Commission late
yesterday. That group, which votec
unanimously for the suggested loca-
ton, said that all previous obsta.
cles had now been removed.
Justice Laws Gives Support.
Justice Bolitha j. Laws of the Dis
trict Court appeared before the
Commission and clinched final ar
guments in favor of the new loca-
tion. He is chairman of the Judi
ciary Committee appointed to Sc
cure a new Federal court building
for the District.
The new building would house
both the District Court and the
United States Court of Appeals
thereby relieving overcrowded con-
ditions now handicapping the work
of all local courts. Justice Laws
said the postwar work of his court
is expected to increase 80 per cent
or more and continued overcrowd-
ing would interfere with its work
even more seriously.
When the question came up al
the last planning session, the Com
mission postponed recommending
the site south of the Municipa
Building because of various compli-
cations. The Capital Auditorium
Commission, created by Congress
had selected the site for the pro-
posed auditorium, and its members
had not been sounded out on theiI
willingness to abandon it.
The Planning Commission saio
the Auditorium Commission has
agreed to the introduction of leg
islation authorizing use of the site
for the new court building. Chair.
man Lanham of the House Public
Buildings and Grounds Committee
who will introduce the bill in the
House, is a member of the Audi
torium Commission. So also are
Senator Robert A. Taft, Republican
of Ohio and Senator George o. An
drews, Democrat of Florida, men,
bers of the corresponding commit
tee in the Senate.
Says Bar Gives Support.
The District Bar Association
Justice Laws told the planning
group, also favors the location.
A spokesman for the planning
body said the change in plan for
the site for the new District Court
House did not mean the proposal for
a Government auditorium had been
abandoned. Another auditorium
site will be suggested, it was said.
The Immediately pressing needs"
of more space for the courts was
given as the dominant reason for
the change. These were considered
more urgent than those for an
auditorium
1t had been planned earlier to
build the new court house on the
site of the Old Pension Office Build
ing, on the north side of Judiciary
Square, but this is now occupied by
the General Accounting Office,
whose work also is expanding, large
ly due to wartime business.
A site north of Judiciary Square,
bounded by G., II, Third and Fifth
streets NV, was purchased for the
new GAO Building, but the war de-
layed construction, and this site
now is held to be too small. The
planners, therefore, envisioned con-
siderable delay in provision of a
new courthouse if its construction
had to await the planning and con-
struction of a new home elsewhere
for the GAO.
Included in Stadium Plans.
1t also was recalled today that
plans for large auditorium are
incorporated in tentative sketches
of the proposed postwar memorial
stadium now being considered by
the Stadium Commission, headed by
Senator Bilbo, Democrat, of Missis-
sippi. This project is planned for
the tract at the foot of East Cap
itol street.
Two bills are pending before con-
grcssional committees proposing the
postwar construction of a great audi
torium in the National Capital, one
bill sponsored by Senator Pepper
Democrat, of Florida, and the other
by. Representative Sheppard, DEM
ocrat, of California. Neither bill
specifies where the auditorium would
be located.
Commercial buses should be al
lowed to operate on the newly
% opened Suitland Parkway, only un-
der condition that they will not in
terfere with rapid motor transporta-
ton, the Commission recommended
The question was referred to il
by Col. John M. Johnson, U. S
District Engineer, as the parkway
is a direct link connecting Boiling
Field with the Camp Springs All
Base, now called Andrews Field.
Would Be Dual Road.
, The Suitland Parkway eventually
will be dual road but only one
road for traffic has been con.
= structed.
The commission also directed 1t.
staff to cooperate with Col. John.
son in preparing overall plans fo,
the improvement of the Washington
water front. Authorization wa,
given IN the recently enacted river,
and harbors bill. Public hearing,
are to be conducted by the United
States Engineer Office next month
it was said, on such matters as new
bridges required, flood control prof.
=, ects, seaplane bases and other inn.
I provements in the Potomac ant
ArlacoStia Rivers.
In case the Government shoult
dispose of the Greenbelt property il
prirno GoOvuoc CosYy,fx a.