Evening star., 1949-03-31
Navy Will Stay
In Buildings in
Potomac Park
Plans Prevent Use
Of Temporary Offices
By SesquicentenniuI
By Nelson N. Shepard


By Nelson N. Shepord
The Navy Department has
knocked out any hope Of
the Polo Field to the
use of the Sesquicentennial Com
by serving notice that it
to continue occupying dor
on the site for an in
definite period beyond June 80. 1t
was revealed today.
Use of the site in West Potomac
Park for the construction Of four
buildings. park officials
said, was contingent on the Navy's
vacating the premises by early
summer.
Edward Boykin, Director OF the
National Capital Sesquicentennial
Commission. said today the Com
mission refuses to admit or &C
cept defeat"
Solution Predicted.
Regardless of what the Navy
has done" he added, this Com
is going ahead with plans
on the assumption that eventually
we will be able to get the use OF
the Polo Field. I can't help but
feel that this thing will be
worked out satisfactorily to us in
the end
Park officials also suffered a
threatened setback in their efforts
to get the administration to order
the demolition this year of other
temporary buildings in West Po-
tomac Park. This new threat
came from the Federal Works
Agency, with an approval OF Pres
ident Truman.
1t is in the form of House bill
giving FWA permanent custody
and control over certain surplus
buildings in some park areas to
help overcome a critical short
age" of Federal Office and storage
space in Washington. Harassed
park officials learned OF this at
tack by discovering items buried
in a lengthy measure affecting
buildings throughout the country
introduced by Chairman Whit
tington of the House Public Works
Committee.
Sites Affected by Bill.
These sites and buildings would
be affected by the bill:
Suitland, Md: Infirmary build.
ing and recreation building 10.
Gated on land comprising the site
for the proposed Federal Office
Building No. 3, occupied by au.
thority of revocable license dated
November II, 1947. from FWA to
the Army Department.
West Potomac Park, between
Independence avenue, the Tidal
Basin and River Drive: The rec
Ireation building on the Polo Field,
the storage plant and the in
fimary building adjacent to the
Polo Field.
The Langston Reservation.
southeast of Oklahoma avenue
NE: The observation-disclosures
building and the infirmary build
ing at Langston Residence Hall.
Arlington Farms, Va: The stor-
age building, maintenance shops,
garages, and administration build
ing. recreation center. auditorium.
classrooms and fire station occu-
pied by the Army Department.
President Truman's interest in
preventing the demolition OF
temporary Surplus" buildings in
West Potomac Park and in Lang
ston was revealed in correspond
ence from Harry G. Hunter. act
ing commissioner of public build
ings.
He informed Supt. Irving c.
Root of National Capital Parks
it was the intention of PBA to
have the buildings remodeled for
use as Offices and storage space
during the emergency period in
which the Office space situation in
the District of Columbia remains
acute" He said that Maj. Gen.
Philip B. Fleming, Federal Works
Administrator, had discussed the
situation with President Truman
who agrees with his viewpoint
that these buildings should not
be removed at this time"
The buildings in West Potomac
Park and at Langston referred to
in the bill, it was said, are under
control of the Housing and Home
Finance Agency and are now sur
plus to the needs of that agency.
Park officials were plainly
vexed by the situation created by
this combination of blows, espe-
cially at the attitude of the Navy
Department..
I'VE are just where we were a
year ago in our efforts to dis
lodge the Navy from West Poto-
mac Park" a spokesman said.
Got Notice to Vacate.
In June, 1948. the Navy Depart
ment was under formal notice to
vacate the area by October /. At
that time the site was needed for
a new rose garden to take the
place of the one destroyed by the
construction of approaches to the
new Fourteenth Street bridge
across the Potomac. The Navy re-
quested and received additional
time.
Undersecretary w. John Ken
ney this week notified Secretary
OF the Interior Krug that the re-
lease of the temporary buildings
on half of the 20-acre Polo Field
was predicated on the transfer of
the personnel to Quarters K on
the Virginia side near the Navy
Annex.
This cannot now be done, he
said, because of the necessity of
lodging 910 Air Force personnel
in Quarters K.
"Under these circumstances"
Mr.. Kenney wrote, you will ap-
preciate the necessity for con-
tinued use of the facilities now oc-
icupied by the Navy in West Po-