Evening star., 1947-10-01
Neviius Tract
Disposal Awaits
CongressAc Action
Former Owners
Refuse to Buy 1t, Are
Awarded Some Gosh

lington-selected by the Veterans
Administration as the site for a
750-bed veterans hospital here
probably will be tossed back to Con-
gress next year, it was indicated
today
Possibility of the original own
ers, headed by A. NJ Nevius, re-
tired vice president of the Riggs
National Bank, taking back the
property was ruled out yesterday
when they refused a Government
offer to return the tract.
At the same time, at a Federal
District Court hearing at Richmond,
the owners were allowed to withdraw
$638, ,12O of $850,827 that had been
deposited by the Government toward
purchase of the land as a hospital
site.
Final Cost Undecided.
Final cost of the land to the Gov
ernment was to be decided last week
at condemnation hearing, but the
case was continued to the December
term of the Federal District Court
at Alexandria.
Attorneys for the owners asked 90
per cent of the $850,827 Immediately,
but the court allowed rs per cent in
order to hold out sufficient
amount to meet any contingency
arising out of title defects"
The Veterans Administration Sc
lected the site after a years study
of property in the Washington area.
The agency acquired title to the
land by condemnation proceedings
in May after the owners refused to
negotiate its SALE It's use as hos
pital site was blocked by Congress,
however, on a move by Representa-
tive Smith, Democrat, of Virginia
Expense Was Objection.
Mr.. Smith objected that the land
was too expensive and that the
Government already had deprived
Arlington County of large amount
Of taxable land.
In letter to the Arlington County
Board two weeks ago, Mr.. Smith
said he had been asked by the JUS
tice Department whether he would
oppose it's use as an extension for
Arlington National Cemetery-which
adjoins the tract. The legislator
said he answered that he would
Ralph Luttrell, chief of the land
acquisition section of the Justice De-
partment, told reporter he knew of
no moves to get possession of the
land to enlarge the cemetery.
Attorney Harry Thomas, repre-
senting Mr. Nevius, when asked yes
terday whether the owners would
take the land, inquired whether
they would have guarantee there
would be no further Government
interference.
Building Is Prevented.
1--WE were told that there couldn t
be guarantee" he said. The
owners have been trying to build
on that land for IL years, and the
Government has stopped it every
time"
Mr. Luttrell, who was present at
the hearing yesterday, said that
after final price for the land is
set Congress may order the Vet
erans' Administration to sell the
land.
Officials of the agency said they
expected that it would he turned
over to the War Assets Administra-
tion as surplus property The agency
still holds title to the tract.
No Action on Hospital Site.
Meanwhile, spokesmen for the
agency said they were sitting tight"
on the selection of another hospital
site In the area until disposition
of the Nevius property is decided.
/. Officials said survey teams prob
ably would make no more actual in
vestigations of land, but would con-
slider the more than 60 tracts that
were studied before selection of the
Nevius land.
They said plans for the Arling-
ton hospital-which were nearly
completed when the project was
stopped-probably would have to be
junked. Architecture of the proposed
hospital was carefully planned so
that it would fit in with other his
torical landmarks near the ceme-