Evening star., 1952-02-13
Military Favors
Agency Shifts
10 Suburbs
Pentogon Asserts
Decentralization
Never Wos Ain,
BY Froncis 2. DoueIos

's.s AAS @<CACA1oC 0CHAl bAIlC11b, ~ UC-
came known today, favors disper-
sal Of vital Government agencies
to the suburbs as q defense meas
llre. rather than removal of Gov
ernmeRt activities to other cities
Decentralization (remoyal tc
other cities) never was q Defense
Department project" a depart
lnent spokesman said today. 1.-THE
department did not buy decen-
tralization, but it did buy dis
persal."
The preference on the part of
/, the administration generally for
dispersal over decentralization is
expected to be laid before House
subcommittee tomorrow.
The subcommittee is a division
Of the House Expenditures Com
nnittee and is headed by Repre-
sentative Hollif1eld. Democrat, of
california. 1t has scheduled, for
tomorrow, a hearing on the bill
calling for the decentralization of
Government activities with 50,000
employees. The measure already
has passed the Senate.
Lawson Among Witnesses.
Prospective witnesses listed by
the subcommittee include Jess
Larson, head of the General Serv-
Ices Administration, and repre-
sentative of the Budget Bureau.
The latter is expected to follow the
line taken by President Truman,
who has recommended that Con-
gress take action on the dispersal
measure pending in both branches
Of Congress. He gave no indorse-
naent of the decentralization bill.
MIR. Larson testified before a
IEenate committee in favor of the
decentralization bill. He is ex-
pected to stand by that testimony.
He has said. however, that. in his
opinion. there is room for both de-
centralization and dispersal.
The dispersal bill, which was
debated by the Senate and then
sent back to the Public Works
Committee, contains a provision
Tor the decentralization of activi-
ties with $4,000 jobs.
/ , May Decrease Figure.
s Defense Department GOODNESS
toward this angle may result in
q scaling down of the $4,000 fig
tre.
In furtherance of this project,
the Budget Bureau last spring is
sued list of agencies, or parts of
agencies, with 5,183 employees.
which were marked for removal
f4pm the Capital area. About a
third of this number would have
come from the Army and Air
Force.
The Budget Bureau also had in
preparation a second list of activ-
tiles with 14.158 employees, which
likewise would have been decen-
tralized. It was never made pub
lie. The cost of moving the total
IOf 1884 jobs and of providing
afice space elsewhere was put at
40 million.
The Holifleld subcommittee listed
these individuals or organizations
who are expected either to testify
or to file statements against the
decentralization bill: The Wash
Iington Board of Trade, Thomas
G Walters of the Government
Employees Council (AFL) Local
No. 2 of the Plate Printers Union,
Harold F. Larkin. College Park,
and Gordon F. Atherholt.
Other Bills Up.
The subcommittee also will take
up two other bills. One would
authorize the Government to buy
either present buildings or those
put up according to its specifica-
tons through a lease-purchase
arrangement. The other would
give GSA general control of Gov
eminent furniture and motor
vehicles.
In recommending again that
Congress pass the dispersal bill,
President Truman urged that
Buildings erected in the Maryland
and Virginia suburbs be placed on
sites already owned by the Gov
ernment. He recommended an ap-
pfopriation Of SIS million for
initial work on the project.