Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-09-17
Separate the Issues
(See Editorial. white
House ErpaHsion.")

(See Editorial. white
House ErpGnston.")
Your August rs editorial,
Separate the Issues" in
terests me. though / disagree
with its conclusions. In adj
dition to the destruction Of
cultural and historical values
that would result If the Pres
ident's recommendation for
expansion Of the White
House Offices were enacted
into law, there is the ire
mendous and entirely un-
necessary cost they entail.
Six million dollars Just to
raze the old State Building,
as Representatives Bolton,
McGregor. Speaker Rayburn
and I have pointed outl Also.
as Representative Mack, Re-
publican Of Washington, said
"as much as $50 to $500 .
square foot for q lawn. Some
lawnl"
Congressional economizers.
including myself. ended up by
slicing IS billion on the
Presidents budget requests
in the session just ended. I
am confident well squeeze q
lot Of excess water out Of
the Presidents office plans in
addition before we're through
with them, perhaps as much
as SIS million. There is not
only the matter Of two ex.
pensive ONCE buildings,
which he recommended. but
an expanded stan to Ill them.
On this point Representative
McGregor, Republican Of
Ohio, was reported by The
Star as saying: IF we keep
giving space to White House
employees. / have the feeling
that the executive branch
viii keep hunting people to
NIL It,"
The Star called for "a
single cohesive. attractive.
parklike unit" but made no
reference to the cost, saying
only that the old State Build
ing must come down and be
replaced. Surprisingly. this
longtime watchdog Of the
public purse overlooked the
fact that an attractive. park
like unit could be had BY the
simple expedient Of removing
the paved road that separates
the White House and the old
State Building-and at prac-
tically no cost to the tax
payersl OF course. this space
could no longer be used as q
free parking lot If q park
were created there.
The contrast between the
Presidents plans for razing
the buildings in the vicinity
Of Lafayette Park and what
the municipal government of
Philadelphia, Pa, is do
ing to restore and develop
Independence National His
torical Park is startling. The
Nations Capital, with its in
effectual local government,
may find its historic build
ings gone long before it de-
velops an appreciation Of and
a mechanism for saving and
maintaining them.
The Star calls for adop-
ton Of the Presidents plans
without change and declares
that "the Jackson place Of
today is q hodge-podge Of old
and new which has lost the
real character 1t once had"
Pursued to its conclusion. this
bit Of specious reasoning
would lead to the destruction
Of historic st. Johns Church
on H street. and I suppose
The Star will call for this too
as soon as some Federal Of
fetal has come up with plans
for a Federal ONCE building
on the site Of that church.
I remember The Stars
concern with the old engine
house, and I have been watt
ing for The Star to campaign
equally as hard for preser-
walton Of far more important
buildings. as the historic
Patent once Building. the
Dolly Madison House, the
Benjamin Tayloe House (both
slated to be demolished in
l96O), the State, War and
Navy Building and the Capt.
toll Building itself.