Evening star., 1921-06-23
CITY HEADS MAKE
PLEA TO SAVEP[AN
TO EXTEND 14TH ST..
Commissioners Urge I'm
provement Proposal Before
Secretary Weeks.
ADVOCATES OF EXTENSION
OUTNUMBER OPPOSITION
Surgeon General ireland Suggests
New Scheme-Many Speakers
Favor Improvement.

AsS" SSnSAAS SPN0nSAS
Favor Improvement.
The unusual spectacle of the Dis
trict Commissioners relinquishing
their official seats in the boardroom of
the Municipal building and taking po-
sitions at the counselors' table. to
urge a District improvement, was fur
nished today at the hearing on the
proposal to extend 14th street through
Walter Reed Hospital reservation.
Secretary of War Weeks and Gen.
Lansing H. Beach. chief Of engineers
Of the United States Army. members
of the highway commission. occupied
the seats of the District heads. while
Commissioners Rudolph Oyster and
Kutz took the role of pleaders.
Advocates of the extension out
| numbered many times those who op-
posed the plan to carry 18th street
| through the hospital grounds.
The board room was packed with
representatives of business and civic
| interests of the District and Maryland.
| while members of Congress. presi-
| dents Of street railway companies.
| heads of banks and financial institu-
| tions and District government officials
| participated in the proceedings.
Surgeon Gen. Ireland of the Army
was the principal objector to the/ex-
| tension plan. But three persons in
the large assembly addressed the COM
| mission in support of the stand taken
| by Gen. Ireland.
Others Favor Extension.
Those who advanced arguments for
| the extension of the street concluded,
| in addition to the District Commits
| sioners. Representative Zihlman Of
| Maryland. Charles c. Glover. former
president of tha Riggs National Bank:
William +. Richards, assessor for the
! District: Blair Lee. former member
of the Senate from Maryland and
| others.
| }. Bond Smith. corporation counsel
/ for the town of Takomar Park. Nd.
, introduced the Maryland representa-.
tives who spoke in advocacy Of the
extension plan. There We're a score
or more persons waiting to present
/ similar views when the hearing was
| terminated at l o'clock on account OF
! an engagement which necessitated the
| Secretary of War leaving the room.
! Mr.. Smith told the commission he
stood ready to present a vast amount
! OF testimony if ii should decide to-caH
another hearing.
Other Plans Proposed.
! Among the principal suggestions
advanced at the hearing were the
plan of Surg. Gen. Ireland to carry
/ 14th street south Of the hospital re-.
/ servation and under 10th street into
i the park, and the proposal of Asses
! sor Richards that part of the hospital
! reservation lying between l4th and
| 18th streets. be abandoned. Mr..
/ quire what additional ground it needs
south of the reservation, leaving the
way clear for extension of 14th street
/ Mr.. Glover told the commission that
practically alf of the land that would
be required for extending 18th street
has been dedicated. and that 1t would
be unfortunate to deprive the city of
this needed improvement when it is
within the grasp of the people.
I When the hearing was Opened by
Secretary Weeks. communications both
for and against the proposal to extend
14th street were read by the recorder
of the commission. These included
statement from the Takoma Park Citi-
zens' Association that IL favored the
proposal.
Surgeon General Henrt.
Surgeon General Ireland. the first
| speaker. presented the protest of the
medical department of the Army
, street through the hospital reserva-
! tion. The protest was based upon
! four major considerations. The first
of these was that quiet zone is alb
| solutely essential to the hospital. The
| second argument advanced was that a
car line through the reservation
would subject the sick and disabled
soldiers to additional dangers.
! Gen. lreland's third point against
the extension plan was that IL would
interfere with the development of q
park in the reservation for the bene-
fit of the patients. while his fourth
, contention was that IL a car line
should go through the grounds 1t
/ would necessitate the building of a
station on the reservation which
would be used by the public.
Gen. Ireland said that Walter Reed
| Hospital is the largest general hos
pital maintained by the Army and
that it will be in position after
of 1.T50 patients. In preference to
extending 14th street through the res
ervation. he urged the carrying of
the highway south of the reserva-
ton into Rock Creek Park.
He stated he had been assured by
transportation experts that the prob
lem of establishing an additional
transportation artery between WASH
ington and the suburban sections
north of the hospital could be solved
through the hospital grounds
Views Are Divided.
The views of Gen. Ireland were in
dorsed by Representative Rogers of
Massachusetts. who spoke next. Mr..
Rogers said that he considered the
l4th street extension plan to involve
a real menace to the welfare, safety
and comfort of the men in Walter
Reed Hospital. He pictured streams
of automobiles using the road and q
constant clang of trolley cars as
making for noise and confusion
which would be detrimental to the
patients.
This is a proposal to establish q
zone of action" said Representative
Rogers, who added that il 14th street
would be less Objectionable as jeo-
pardizing the safety of the patients,
but still would be accompanied by
noise and fumes from gasoline cars.
Opponents at Hearing.
Opponents of the extension project
| also had representative at today's
hearing in Charles A. Mckenney, who
said that he, owned property both in
the District mad in Maryland which Is
located south and north of the hospi-
taI grounds. He advocated solution OF
the problem through proposed divert
! ing of I4th street Immediately south
of the reservation to Rock Creek
park and thence to the section north
of walter Reed Hospital by way of
Alaska avenue. He thought the line
so diverted, should pass under 18TH
| street into Rock Creek Park.
d. n. Shoemaker of Takoma Park;
said there are many residents In that
section who are opposed to the. extern
| sion of l4th street in accordance with
the highway plans II any practical
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