Evening star., 1950-09-08
Slow Haste Seen
Facing Agency
Dispersal Plan
Signs Indicate Senate
Will Soften Cut in
D. 6. Defense Funds

7 for dispersal of key Government
agencies commands considerable
support in the Senate Appropria-
tions Committee but faces strong
make e-haste-slowly sentiment.
This was indicated after Gen
eral Services Administrator Jess
, Larson and his top associates met
; in closed session with the COM
, mittee for more than two hours
, yesterday.
The GSA spokesman as we'll as
Senator Mcmahon, Democrat, of
Connecticut, chairman of the
Joint Atomic Energy Committee,
urged the appropriations group to
approve the Presidents request
for $139.8 million to pay for
removing various agencies from
i, Washington to points within 80
miles in Virginia and Maryland.
Chances of immediate or COM
Iplete approval of the 1898 mil
lion outlay before Congress ad-
journS, seemed DINNER today.
But there were signs the COM
mittee might restore at least part
of the cut made by the House two
weeks ago in the Districts civilian
defense fund request.
$26O,OOO Cut.
The District asked for $500 900
but the House sliced the sum to
$4,000. Committee sources re-
vealed that several members have
urged that the most, if not all,
of the 1890. 600 be written back
into the bill.
The decentralization item and
the District civilian defense pro-
posal are part of a $16.7 billion
emergency supplemental appro-
priation passed by the House and
now under scrutiny of the Sen
ate committee. The bill is ex-
pected to be reported to the Sen
ate early next week.
Neither Mr.. Larson nor COM
mittee members would disclose
all details of the dispersal plan.
They emphasized, however, that
one Of it's major aims would be
to assure continuity of National
leadership, uninterrupted opera
ton Of most essential Govern
ment functions, and safeguard
ing OF irreplacable records and
planning if Washington becomes
an A-bomb target.
The committee, it was learned
was told that GSA not only has
made extensive surveys as the
basis for possible construction of
new buildings and highways out
side Of Washington, but also has
looked into the feasibility of using
caves In Virginia and Kentucky
for storage of valuable records.
Few. if any, of the 10 commit
tee members at the meeting op-
posed the general idea Of plan
ming for dispersal OF key Gov
ernment agencies, particularly
such vital establishments as the
Central Intelligence Agency and
some Pentagon Offices.
Distance Questioned.
But several Senators, 1t
was Learned, raised the ques-
ton whether decentralization, if
deemed necessary at this time,
should be of a far wider scale
than the 20 or 80 mile radius
out Of Washington. They sug-
gested that perhaps some of the
agencies should be scattered as
far as the Middle West.
Mr.. Larson disclosed that he
tried to anticipate possible OBJ
1ections as to the legal authority
for the GSA to construct build
ings and highways and the gen.
eral carrying out of the $139.8
million program in general. He
said he gave the committee a
comprehensive statement setting
forth "the sources of our legal
authority"
The committee was very much
interested in our presentation" he
told reporters. "A great many in
telllgent questions were asked"
He would venture no prediction
about the final vote on the pro-
posal. He and others revealed
however, that some Senators had
asked pointed questions as to
whether the recently recommend
ed plan would receive sufficient
study at this late date in the con-
gressional session.
A committee member, who would
not be quoted directly, commented
there was a general feeling on
the committee" and perhaps in
the Senate, that this thing should
be given more careful thought
than is possible at this moment. !"
He added that he appreciates
the need for more space" for
protection of Government opera
t1ons and continuity of leadership.
He has not yet made up his mind
about the $138.9 request and be-
lieves 1t might require more
study" he said.
Necessity Questioned.
Another member said his first
reaction to the plan was: do
we have to do that?" After hear
ing Mr.. Larson's explanation, the
Senator said he felt that maybe
we do" But he declared he is
still undecided and will have to
consider the proposal more deeply
before I make up my mind how
to vote on it,
Senator Mcmahon, who is not a
member of the Appropriations
Committee, testified for about Is
minutes.
Il impressed on them" he re-
ported later, that the Soviet