Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-06-27
More on Chonceries

BAD Day at Bonnie Brae"
strikes the right note Of out
rage over the District Board.
Of zoning Adjustments arbi-
trary granting Of q coming
exception for an office build
ing in a residential area.
Regardless Of any pressure
from the State Department,
they have an Obligation to
uphold the coming laws of
the Nations Capital. Removal
Of their right to make ad-
ministrative decisions in
such cases would be q great
relief to all residents in
Washington.
I do not believe that the
Soviet Union realized that
building q chancery In the
Bonnie Brae estate grounds
was In violation Of our zon-
ing laws. The residents of
Moscow also have q right to
the peace and privacy Of
their homes, and If our State
Department is attempting to
violate their coming laws by
expansion Of our embassy
there, then our Congress
might well have to draft
legislation restraining the
State Department from en-
barrassing the residents Of
Moscow.
Should neither Of our
stately and beautiful
thoroughfares, 18th street
and Massachusetts, avenue,
each long known as EN-
bassy Row" be acceptable to
the Soviet Union, ! doubt not
that they have sufficient
funds TO build q chancery in
any commercial zone they
choose.
The Ambassador and his
family are. I feel sure, more
than welcome In any resi-
dental section Of the Ma
TONS Capital or metropoli-
tan area, as would be the
residences Of his staff and
their families.
Mrs. Fred Hetzel.
Two appalling statements
appeared in The Stars &C
count Of the District Board
Of zoning Adjustments 80
ruling In the controversy
over the proposed erection Of
a Soviet Embassy and Chan
Gerry on the Bonnie Brae es-
tate.
Chairman Samuel Scriv-
ener, jr.. admitted that
pressure had been put on the
board from very high up in
the executive branch of the
Government" And when the
State Departments director
Of special protocol services,
Pedro SanJuan, was told Of
the boards decision, he lex
pressed no surprise" His
only comment was: ooh!
When was It made public?"
In other words, the deci-
sion against the citizens Of
Chevy Chase and In favor Of
the Soviet government, the
state Department and a
Philadelphia area realtor
was made from very high
up" long ago-probably even
before the two public hear
ings held by the board.
At the hearings. all but
three or four Of the citizens
present registered unequiv-
ocal opposition TO erection Of
the chancery in their neigh
borhood. zoned exclusively
for one-family detached resi-
dences. But. judging by the
statements Of Messrs. Scriv-
ener and Sanjuan, the ma
jority OF the board already
had made up their minds. II
this be true, the hearings
were q mere show staged to
lull opponents Of the chan
Gerry into believing the case
would be decided on It's
merits.
The pressure must have
been great, indeed. TO cause
these gentlemen to ignore
the overwhelming opposition
OF the Chevy Chase Citizens
Association, the Hawthorn
Citizens Association, the
Federation Of Citizens Asso-
Citations. the Glover Park
Citizen Association. the
Georgetown Progressive Citi-
Gems Association and count
less citizens not affiliated
with any group.
These citizens, unless they
sell their homes, will have TO
learn 10 live with the very
conditions they m owed TO
Chevy Chase TO escape
traffic congestion and park
ing problems. not TO mention
anti Communist picketing OF
the Soviet Embassy.
II the boards ruling Is al
lowed 10 stand. II will serve
as a precedent. More than a
dozen other foreign govern
ments will seek chanceries
in the District within the