Evening star., 1923-03-27
d. c. AS WORLDPORT
IS OBJECT OF MOVE
Citizens Would Establish
Great Industrial Territory
on Virginia Side.
HARNESS GREAT FALLS
Leading Business and Financial
Interests Will Meet Here
Thursday.
HARNESS GREAT FALLS
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

BY WILL p. KENNEDY.
For the purpose OF setting up a
permanent organization to make
Washington a world port capable of
accommodating the largest merchant
and war vessels, for establishing a
great industrial territory south OF
the National Capital with the best
water and rail facilities anywhere in
the country, and for harnessing the
Great Falls OF the Potomac to supply
light, heat and power for this gigan-
tic project, meeting of the leading
business and financial interests Of this
territory is to be held Thursday
afternoon at o'clock in the Wash
ington City Club.
The plan before this proposed per-
manent organization is to have a
survey Of the industrial possibilities
OF this region made by one of the
best concerns in the country, experts
in this line Of work. Then to have
a chart made showing the available
properties for factories and ware
houses with special attention to the
rail and water transportation facfli-
ties Finally to have q great con-
struction plan prepared which the
commercial and financial interests OF
this region can follow year after
year in covering this ideally located
territory with manufacturing and in
dustrial plants Of wide diversified
tion in character.
Will Employ Skilled Men.
Carrying out Of this program will
furnish a constant demand for the
best skilled artisans. such as are now
being discharged fro the naval tor
pedo plant in Alexandria and from
the Washington navy yard. who can
now find no place OF employment
near Washington.
The meeting Thursday is the cuI
work by NJ B. Harlow, vice presi-
dent of the First National Bank,
bers OF commerce OF Washington and
Alexandria, and for more than forty
years conspicuous in the business life
of this community.
This great industrial zone was urg-
ed first at a meeting OF the KiwaniS
Club OF Alexandria in September.
1922. after Mr.. Harlow had made a
personal tour of industrial New Eng
land, getting frst-hand data on how
that industrial territory was built up.
Then he went before the board OF su-
pervisors of Arlington county and Sc
cured enthusiastic support For sew
eral months he has been conferrinR
with the business and financial or
ganizations in Alexandria and Wash
ington. each of which promptly In
dorsed the proposition and appointed
committee to actively cooperate
and attend the general conference on
Thursday.
Evans Appoints Committee.
Joshua Evans. president of the
Washington Bankers Association,
has appointed a committee to coop
crate. Especial help has been given
by John ". Weaver. recently presi-
dent of the National Real Estate AS
ISOLATION.
Mr.. Harlow also has interested the
industrial departments of the rail-
roads entering this territory, which
includes all the great trunk lines He
has also secured the earnest Co
operation OF the interurban electric
lines.
The territory which il is intended 10
take into this industrial and business
zone includes:
Such sections of the District of Co
lumbia as may be found suitable
without interfering with or detract-
ing from the plan to make Washing
ton city the most beautiful and de-
sirable residential city in the country
It would include the former great
Bile industrial territory at Rosslyn
and Analostan Island.
The whole OF the countries known
as northern Virginia" that trade
with Washington and Alexandria
1t would include the city of Alexan-
dria, with from twenty-five to twer-
ty-eight feet of water, and two miles
below.
southside of Potomac.
On the south side OF the Potomac
river all the trunk lines. with the
Potomac freight yards. which are the
largest east OF Chicago.
Representative men familiar with
the Potomac river and its interests
have also been invited to this con-
ference on Thursday.
1t is the purpose also OF those who
are fathering this project to interest
the federal government in making a
survey of the Potomac river for the
purpose of widening and deepening
the channel from twenty-four feet at
low tide and twenty eight feet at
high tide. TO thirty feet at low tide
and thirty-four to thirty-six feet at
high tide. This would make 1t possi-
Bile for the largest freight and war
vessels to come up to the harbor of
Washington and make Washington a
world port.
1t is pointed out by these leading
business and financial men that there
are nine miles of river frontage be-
tween the cities of Washington and
Alexandria. and two miles south OF
Alexandria, where all the great trunk
line railroads are now operating and
where the largest factories and ware
houses can be erected.
The harbor at Washington is now
very much congested. and the wharf
age Is practically all owned by the
federal government. With the develop
ment of this nine-mile reach OF water
front Ii would be possible TO have the
finest kind of wharves sufficient to ac-
commodate an increasing demand from
the new industries that. II Is said, are
eager to locate in this proposed ousi-
ness zone for Washington.