Evening star., 1945-10-03
Reclaimed andUrged
As Substitute for
Purchase ofJt. John S

The possibility OF reclaiming land
in the Severn River or College Creek
as an alternativef to razing his
toric ST. Johns College was ex-
plored today by the House Naval
Affairs Committee, which is study
ing the Navy's proposal to expand
the Naval Academy at Annapolis.
Navy officials conceded it would
be possible to acquire more land
by filling in part of these streams,
but that the project would be ex-
pensive. 1t was estimated the cost
of filling in College Greek would
be $3,500.000 and that costly foun-
dations would have to be provided
for buildings. F
James r. Edmunds, jr., repre-
senting the American Institute of
Architects, repeated the position he
took before the Senate Naval At
fairs Committee Yesterday that lit
would be possible for the Navy to
expand without taking over the
college. S
II admit at the outset" he said,
that the solution proposed by the
Navy is logical and practical,
granted the land is available
Three City Blocks Involved.
But, he added. if the Navy's
architects had been asked to find a
solution that did not involve st.
Johns, f'they could have found it"
Mr.. Edmunds said his organiza-
tion was interested principally in
three city blocks. which the Navy
wants to acquire along with the
college. The witness said this area
contained three old houses of great
historical interest to the country
Senator Morse, Republican, of
Oregon said at hearings yesterday
he believed the committee should
study every alternative plan before
permitting the academy to take over
the college. Senator Brooks, Re-
publican, of Illinois suggested the
committee obtain an official Navy
statement concerning the possibility
of one or more academies in other
parts of the country. He urged the
use of the Great Lakes Naval Train
ing Station as branch academy.
Unqualified Navy opposition to
more than a single academy was
expressed by Vice Admiral Ben
Moreell, chief of the Bureau of
Yards and Docks
THE consensus of the people in
the Navy" he told the Senate group,
is that 1t would be great mistake
to have two academies. My own
opinion is that it would be a major
disaster"
Alternatives Rejected.
Admiral Moreell said that, on the
basis of 500000-man Navy, the
present academy would have to ac-
commodate 5000 more midshipmen.
To do this, he said, more land is re-
quired for dormitories and the only |
suitable land is the site occupied |
for 160 years by st. Johns.
He said various alternatives had |
been considered and rejected by his
bureau, including a fill in College
Greek on the north end of the
academy grounds, tearing down the
existing buildings and re-arrange-
ing them, and expanding on ground
north of the academy. The objec-
ton to the last method, he said,
was that it would take midshipmen
longer to walk between their dormi-
tories and the academic buildings.
Maybe" said Senator Morse, 1--WE
can help the Navy in the strategy
of moving its classes from one Sec
tion of the campus to another"
John Root, civilian architect en-
gagged by the Navy to review its
plans, said he. believed the acquisi-
ton of the college was the only
practical solution. Under question:
ing by Senator Morse, however, he
admitted he had not studied other
plans.
Mark Van Doren, poet and critic
and trustee of st. Johns, pleaded
for retention of the college on the
ground that its plan of liberal edu-
cation was "the best of its kind
1T is the most often debated and
the most often copied of any in the
country he said. Il hope this COM
nittee and the Navy will hesitate