Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-04-26
WATER FRONT GETS
AID AFTER 10 YEARS
Survey for Trade and Es-
thetic Development Pushed
by Trade Board.

mendations for an extensive program
of devgSpment, including great riV'
erside boulevard, will be happy re-
suit of more than 10 years or persist
ent effort by the Washington Board
of Trade to have this unsightly sec
ton of the Capital cleaned up.
The rivers and harbors committee OF
tie Washington Board of Trade, EN-.
phasizing the desirability of having
the city side of the Washington Chan'
mel improved so as to take its long
planned place in the general scheme
of Capital development, has obtained
the most earnest cooperation or the
Engineer Commissioner, the National
Capital Parks Commission and the offi-
Ger in charge of this district of rivers
and harbors work under the Engineer
Corps of the Army. So that now the
municipal and Federal authorities are
cooperating with the business and
civic interests of Washington.
Aided BY Jones.
The Board of Trade committee, of
which Frank P Leetch is chairman,
has just made its annual report in
which ii says:
I'VE were fortunate in interesting
Senator, Jones of Washington, chair
man of the committee on commerce
of the Senate, who introduced an
amendment 10 lIt NV Il eiliN AieiA w.
bill, which was finally enacted into
law February %, 1925, authorizing
and directing the Secretary of War
to make the survey which has been
the. initial objective of this COM
mittee."
This provision follows:
Potomac River: The water front
on the north side of Washington
Channel, District of Columbia, with
x,{o, 80 and nranArlnR
and submitting plans and estimates
of cost for the construction of an
adequate terminal or terminals,
which would provide appropriate Ia:
cilities for water transportation and
for interchange of traffic between
vessels and the railroads and high
ways, respectively, including any rec
concentrations which may be deemed
advisable for co-ordinating the full
commercial use of said water front
and the approaches, with the beautifi-
cation thereof"
Expects Favorable Action.
Chairman Leetch explains that the
drafting of this clause, which neces
sarily had to be brief, was carefully
designed to be as comprehensive as
possible to provide for every con-
tingency, both as to the commercial
usage and Identification of the harbor
front. I'm view of the public inter
est that has been aroused with re-
spect to this project and the interest
displayed by the Government officials
upon the subject in the past" said
Mr.. Leetch, I'VE feel that the report
of the chief of engineers, under the
direction of the Secretary of War,
when forthcoming, will result in the
adoption by Congress of a definite
plan of improvement and be the means
of securing favorable action by Con-
gress looking to the ultimate COM
pletion of the work.
ITO those having an appreciation
of the value of the waterborne traf-
flc, adequate terminals and so forth,
in the development of the commerce
of the National Capital, the start thus
made, cannot be overestimated, and
our committee on river and harbor
Improvement feels that the Board of
Trade has added another link to the
chain of accomplishments in initial
Ing and promoting the general welfare
of the National Capital"
Chairman Leetch is going TO ap-
point a subcommittee of three to keep
in touch with the officials charged
with making survey plans, estimates,
etc, and who will confer as occasion
may present with committees or rep
resentatives of other civic bodies
which are interested in the project.
Mr.. Leetch and his committee have
had the earnest cooperation of John
H. Small, former representative from
North Carolina. who was for many
years a leader in the House on rivers
and harbors development work. Mr..
Small is now a resident of Washing
ton and deeply interested in the well
fare of the Capital City.
Movement Long AfoOt.
Blk years ago the Washington
Board of Trade redoubled it's efforts
to secure adequate wharf and harbor
facilities, saying in it's annual re-
port for the year 1920: The dire
necessity of immediate enlargement of
facilities is apparent at this time
stronger than ever before" 1t quoted
as an Illustration n telegram which
the Engineer Corps received from
shipping corporation in Boston asking
what facilities existed in Washington
for unloading stones in block up to
five tons in weight, and If cargo
steamers of 5000 to 10000 tons dead
weight could navigate the Potomac
Maj NJ. c. Tyler, United States Army
Engineers. replied: There are no reg
ular shipping facilities either in Wash
ington or the nearby port of Alex
andria, Va, where a steamer of TIE
class you describe could be locked
or unloaded.
In it's annual report the Washing
ton Board of Trade, commenting on
this condition. said: Surely this is
a situation which should not be per-
mitted to exist In the Nations Cap
ital. When the work of reclamation
of the fats of the Potomac River and
Eastern Branch is completed, Wash
ington can boast of three different
channels 400 feet wide and % feet
deep. With such wonderful water
facilities in our favor. we should put
forth every effort to have the United
States Government inaugurate sys-
tenn Of permanent dock improvements
in Washington, Georgetown and
Eastern Branch Harbors.
THE approaches to our water
front are unsightly. Immediate steps
should be undertaken to improve this
condition"
Called for Action.
In his report that year H c. c.
Stiles, chairman of the rivers and
ommendation that the board take
active steps at an early date looking
10 the permanent improvement of the
Washington waterfront" Mr.. Stiles
report called attention that:
TT has been the idea of the COM
mittee that some constructive work
must eventually be done along the
line of developing the appearance of
the waterfront aloEse sater street,
from the railroas bridge to the
Washington Barracks. The condi-
ton at present is extremely insight
1y. The conglomeration of wharves
and docks, many of them in a more
or less dilapidated condition. forms Il
picture in striking contrast to the