Evening star., 1951-10-26
By WiIIiom n. Stonemon
Foreign Correspondent Of The star and
the Chicago Daily News

been taking place here at the cap1-
tai of Western Germany.
Properly exploited it should do
more to confound the Communists
and to prove the virtues Of free
enterprise minus bureaucracy
than all of the propaganda blah-
blah in the world.
Since the ground thawed last
spring German architects. en-
gineers, contractors and work.
men-supervised by one lone lieu
tenant colonel in the United States
Army and three American assist
ants-have created four great
building projects Of outstanding
modernity and efficiency.
In doing so they have rivaled
the imagination and efficiency
shown by American builders in
producing such masterpieces as
the new United Nations head
quarters. Peter Cooper Village or
Stuyvesant Town in New York
City.
The scale Of the undertaking
has not been as vast but the
speed and skill shown in design
ing and erecting comfortable and
efficient buildings at rock bottom
cost has been as good or bet
ter.
New Headquarters Built
The projects include:
The new headquarters of the
United States High Commissioner
In Germany, at Mehlem just
south Of Bad Godesberg. It con-
sists Of several four-story wings
perched on piles, to save them
from damage in case of floods.
and one seven-story wing, pro-
viding a total of $4,000 square
yards Of floor space and COM
modious office Accommodations
for 500 American and 1000 Ger
man employees. When we pull out
OF Germany this building can be
converted into a university or a
hospital with little alteration.
The American housing estate
and community center just down
the Rhine from headquarters in
Bad Godesberg. Trim two-story
buildings scattered about the
estate contain apartments for 45S
employees and their families.
Germans Get Housing.
All Of them are completely fur
nished down to and including pots
and pans. which will save Ameri-
can taxpayers millions of dollars
in freight for household goods.
The community center has stores,
a theater, a chapel and a school
for American children up to high
school age. People begin moving
in on November ! when head
quarters personnel begins to ar
rive from Franfurt.
Two housing estates. with COM
munity centers. for German en-
ployes Of the High Commissioners,
one in Bonn. the other in nearby
Bad Godesberg. Each consists of
a large variety of small apartment
buildings, some Of them ultramod-
ernistic and all heavily supplied
with windows. centering on one
History building. Each housing
project will accommodate 4l2
commission employees and their
families in four different sizes
and types Of dwelling. The CEN
trail building acts as the commu-
nifty center and has "a studio
apartments on the upper floors.
Move-in time is December !.
Many Germans ON Staff
Master magician of all these |
projects is q typical Army en-
gineer. 1t. Col. George G. Davies,
who proudly points out that his
entire supervisory organization |
consists Of II persons. including
three other Americans.
Col. Davies is the center of a
large and smoothly running
machine composed Of German
architects, engineers. contractors
and workmen from all over
Germany. Manufacturers and
contractors from every one of
Western Germany's II laender"
and Berlin have taken part.
Skilled workmen from other parts
of Germany have been living in
special temporary housing prof.
ects Of their own.
The great German architectu-
raj firm of APPEL. Tetocha, Roh-
rer and Herdt has been at the
top of the German pyramid. |
Previously this same firm was
responsible for the American
housing project at Frankfurt |
which served as q modest model
for the work here.
Precision Operation.
AS you wander around these
buildings. now just on the point |
Of completion, you are impressed
by two things: The smart, fast
moving performance Of the Ger
man workmen and the obviously
perfect timing of the operation
which finds plumbers, painters,
carpenters. hoor-layers and black |
smiths working shoulder to shoul-
der without seeming to get into
each others way.
Everything has been delivered
on time and Is lined up, in apple
pie order. waiting to be put into
its place.
Col. Davies gets credit for this
fine timing operation. So do the |
German firms which have lived
up to their contracts. l.
These four great projects have
all been paid for out Of counter
part"-money put up by the Ger
mans to match the dollars given
to Germany in the form of Mar
shall aid. ...
In other countries-notably in