Evening star., 1950-08-31
Dispersal Plan
May Go Before
Senators TODAY
$l3e Million Asked
By Truman in Move
To Protect CupituI
BULLETIN

IA top Government officials rep
resenting all big departments
and agencies to assist General
Services Administrator Jess
Larson in planning the dis
persal of some 10000 Federal
workers to outlying Washington
areas, it was learned today.
Administration leaders planned
to press for an early hearing today
on President Truman's request for
$139.8 million to begin decentral-
izing the Government establish
ment here to insure continuous
operation of essential functions"
in event of an enemy attack on
Washington.
A second aim of the long-range
plan revealed last night, is to
relieve congestion by eliminating
World War II temporary build
ings and providing Office space
within committing distance for
new employees being hired in the
accelerated national security pro-
gram.
The security phase of the pro-
posal won the immediate support
of Chairman Mcmahon of the
Joint Committee on Atomic En-
ergy. He declared the project is
absolutely necessary" and that
vital agencies should not be
punched in downtown Washing
ton as long as Russia has atomic
bombs.
Going Before Committee.
Mr.. Truman's request. which
may go before the Senate Appro-
priations Committee tomorrow or
the first of next week, con-
templates the eventual establish-
ment of buildings in four subur-
ban communities to accommodate
IS, 1000 to 10000 Federal workers.
w. E. Reynolds. public build.
ings commissioner. said no de-
cision has been made on the exact
sites for the new buildings. Pos
sible locations have been sur
veyed in nearby farm areas along
the Shirley highway in Virginia,
the new Washington Baltimore
parkway and the Rockville pike
in Maryland.
No more than 10000 workers
will be concentrated at any one
location. he said. The Office build
ings viii be designed on a single
basic plan similar to that Of the
new General Accounting Office
and will have a capacity Of about
5000 persons each. Thus a max
imum of two buildings would be
located at any one site.
Center Courts Abandoned.
The buildings will be without
center courts and the large CEN
ter area will be suitable for con-
struction of halls for meeting
places. Mr.. Reynolds said. Pro-
vision of such space for use by
Congress has been discussed in
formally by public buildings Off
cials but has not yet been def
nitely proposed, he added.
Agencies which would be likely
to attract bombers. such as the
State Department, military de-
partments and Central Intelligence
Agency, presumably will be moved
into the new structures. Mr.. Rey-
noldS said he would like to see the
old Munitions and Navy build
ings on Constitution avenue torn
down, but added this is unlikely
during the first phase of the de-
centralization. No decision has
yet been made on this question,
however, he said.
These two buildings may be re-
tanned for the present because
they are more resistant to fire and
bombs than the wooden World
War II structures on the Mall.
They are built OF concrete and
steel, the commissioner pointed
out.
Eventually the new plan will
result in wholesale shift" of
the Governments employees in the
area, he said.
General Services Administrator
Jess Larsen and Commissioner
Reynolds were due to appear to-
day before the Senate Appropria-
tions Committee on the plan.
The administration probably
will ask Congress to include the
money for the decentralization in
the supplemental appropriation
bill, which has been passed by the
House, and is now before the
Senate Appropriations Committee.
The bill under consideration
now carries only $4,000 to begin
(See DECENTRALIZATION, A-4.)