Evening star., 1946-01-16
Truman Defends
White House
Expansion Plan
West Wing Addition
Doesn't Change
Mansion, He Says

Indications today were that Presi
dent Truman will put up a stronl
fight for the plan to triple the sizt
OF the west wing of the White
House.
AT his press conference yesterday
Mr.. Truman hit back at critics oi
the proposed architectural changes
which would cost an estimated ST.
$4,000. Asserting that he himself
wants no radical changes in the
Executive Mansion, Mr.. Truman
pointed out that the proposed addi-
ton will add only to the executive
Offices and not the White House
proper.
In response to questions, President
Truman said all the architects he
had talked with favored the changes
He added, with smile, that the en-
largement was principally for the
benefit of the press since future news
conferences would be held in an au-
dltorium to be built on the west wing
Architects Critical.
After it had heard architect men,
bers lambaste the current plan, the
Committee of 100 on the Federal
City late yesterday instructed its
Executive Committee to study the
plan, prior to full committee action.
If reception of the architects
criticism foreshadows the action to
be taken, the Executive Committee
will recommend full committee op-
position.
Following criticism of the plan,
committee members applauded and
shouted Hear! Hear!"
The plan would add $4,000 square
feet of Office space to the west wing,
provide an auditorium to seat 375
persons and convert the east wing
into a presidential museum.
Sees Symbol Destroyed.
Julian E. Berla, president of the
District Chapter of the American
Institute of Architects, which spoke
out against the plan Saturday, said
yesterday it would destroy living
symbol of the American people"
He was careful to point out that
the plan was not being opposed on
architectural grounds, but on the
ground that any addition to the
White House serves further to sub
ordinate its traditional residential
character to it's use as an office
building.
Where the White House is con-
cerned, he said, it will become
case of an architectural tail wag-
ging the dog" he said.
Always" he said, "it has been
a shrine dear to the American pee
pie. Strangers are content to look
through the fence from Pennsyl-
vania avenue and say, That's the
White House, where fellow citi-
zen, modest man, lives in mod
est way
Favors State Department.
"Why should $4,000 feet of Office
space, a museum, cafeteria and
an auditorium be included? There's
already been too much construc-
tion," he said.
, Horace Peaslee, Washington ar
chitect, said he had always felt
the most acceptable plan for pro-
viding executive Office space for
the President is that which would
give the old State Department
Building a face lifting and turn 1t
oyer to the President.
3The Budget Bureau and other
White House functions already are
housed there, he said. 1t could be
connected by tunnels to the White
\ House, and would be much closer
TO the latter than the Senate and
House Office Buildings are to the
Capitol, he added.
:Now that plans are being laid
for new State Department to
occupy the block west of Lafayette
Square, he said, it is time to put
the plan for the old state build
ing into effect.
ALA Opposition Indicated.
Edmund Purvis, national repre-
sentative in Washington for the
Ala, said his organization was not
yet in a position to speak, but was
canvassing its members, and had
placed the White House proposal
before two of its committees on
historic buildings and on the Ma
tional Capital.
Although he did not say it, he
left the distinct impression the ALA
at it's February meeting would
strongly oppose the. plan.
He described how the Ala had
been charged by successive Presi-
dents with responsibility for watch
ing over changes and additions to
the Executive Mansion.
The gathering, which took place
at st. Johns Parish Hall, 819 Six
teenth street NV, was held to in
stall Clifton A. Woodrum, former
member of Congress, as chairman
of the Committee of 100. Retiring
chairman is Supreme Court Justice
Owen j. Roberts.
Mr.. Woodrum promised to use
his knowledge of Capitol Hill to
further the aims of the committee.
He spoke out sharply in favor Of
some form of local government for
the District without specifying what
form it should take.
Interested in District.
81 am very much interested in
the District" he said. Its just
about the capital of the world now.
The best is not too good for it. But
many local affairs are loosely
handled and its government should
be put on a logical basis without
Congress sitting as city council
for it.