Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-08-29
|PentagonP Plans
Fail 10 Solve
Space Problem
U. S. Aides See No
Early Removal of
Temporary Buildings
By Nelson M. Shepard

Inc new role reserved for the
Pentagon Building as future head
quarters of the unified armed serv-
ices apparently aroused no hope
today in Federal planning circles
of early removal of the 29-year- old
temporary Navy and Munitions
Buildings on Constitution Avenue.
Nor would such use of the Pen
tagon lessen the need for expeditine
plans to erect the proposed new
Navy Department building as an ex.
tension of the so-called West End
triangle, officials said, whether fol
the future use of the Navy or some
other Federal agency. -
Those views were shared by Com.
missioner w. E. Reynolds of the
Public Buildings Commission, who
is also director of Government space
control, and by Maj. Gen. U. S
Grant III; chairman of the Nationa
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission.
Space Still Problem.
Neither was of the opinion tina
a Pentagon building bursting with
top Army, Navy and Air Fore,
officers and personnel would hav.
any >appreciable effect on the per
ennial problem Of finding perm
anent office space in Washington fo
the armed services or Federal EN-
ployes in general. Each said thu
total load of personnel for tn,
unified armed. services will be sub
stantially the same as it is nov
when the move is made to the Pen
tagon next month, but no on,
knows now what it will be two O.
three years hence.
The Pentagon now houses 22,0O(
military and civilian personnel, ane
the Army and War Department &C.
tually occupy 16 other buildings ir
the Washington area. =,
For this reason, Mr.. Reynolds
pointed out, 1t is still necessary fol
the Army and Navy also to retair
most of its temporary buildings such
as those at the National Airport
and near Arlington Cemetery.
Gen. Grant was of the same opin-
ion.
1--WE still hope some day it viii,
be possible to tear down the tenn.
porary buildings, especially the old
Navy and Munitions Buildings, but
we can't do it now" he said. The
Navy Is now in process of getting
rid of its temporary buildings near
the rejecting pool and east of Sew
enteenth street on the Monument
lot.
Program Under Way.
Both Army and Navy have re-
duced their Office space require
ments considerably in the more than
two years since vi day. 1t would
be possible, perhaps, to squeeze 5000
more clerks into the Pentagon, as
during the peak of the war, but that
would be an undesirable crowding
in peacetime. So it is likely that
the equally undesirable" tempos at
the National Airport and near Arl-
ington Cemetery will remain stand
ing for some time to come.
The Federal Government is en-
barked on a long-range program OF
new construction in Washington
the chief economic aim of which Is
to relieve itself of paying an enor-
nous annual rental for scores OF
private buildings still being occu-
pied. With that in mind, the Public
Buildings Administration is hopeful
soon of being able to start work on
the addition to the new State De-
Department Building formerly the
Army'O as we'll as the proposed
Navy Building. Congress provided
the funds for acquiring the site fol-
the Navy Building, but nothing be-
yond that as yet.
BY the time it is erected, the
Navy Building probably will be
known by some other name. Least
of Mr.. Reynolds worries, however
will be finding occupants for it.