Evening star., 1925-06-10
Reopen the Bathing Beach!

Reopen the Bathing Beach!
Immediate relief from the uncom
Portable. dangerous and intolerable
situation in Washington, brought
about by lack of adequate open-air
bathing beaches, is promised in the
proposal to reopen the old Tidal Basin
Beach for the Summer and to oper-
tie also temporarily a beach at Jones
Point on the Anacostia River. The
District Commissioners, the Citizens
Advisory Council, Representatives
zihlman and Blanton and other mem
bers of Congress who have voiced
their approval of the plan are to be
congratulated heartily in initiating
and helping to carry forward such
measures of relief.
Col. c. o. Sheriff., in charge of pub
lie buildings and grounds, wisely has
halted the work of removing the bath
houses from the Tidal Basin Beach,
after discussing the matter with mem
bers of Congress. He has reached the
conclusion also that the real solution
ing the Summer months in Washing.
ton can only be met by utilizing the
waters of the river which flow past
the city, in the Tidal Basin and in the
rivers themselves. Artificial pools,
which could not be operated until the
additional water supply for the Dis
trict now in process of construction
has been provided in 1927, at best
would accommodate only hundreds
whereas the river and Tidal Basin
beaches would care for thousands.
Those members of the Senate and
House now in Washington have with
out exception voiced approval of the
plarvto open UP the Tidal Basin Beach
and to establish another at Jones
Point-in the face of the refusal by
Congress (partly on the ground of al
legged pollution Of the Tidal Basin
Water} to appropriate for the main
,tenance of the Tidal Basin Beach and
Its further appropriation for disman-
Ting the beach. Congress acted dur
ing the Winter, when the sting of the
hot months was far away and the
demand for outdoor bathing could not
be understood as 1t is today, after one
of the longest periods of continuous
heat ever experienced by the people
- OF Washington. Hope is felt that the
leaders in Congress will, If only for
this Summer, waive their objections
to the use of the water of the Tidal
Basin as unfit.
Already the death toll is large be-
cause of the entire lack of bathing
facilities for the people here, and
the Summer has scarcely begun.
Many more drowninss may be ex-
pected before the Fall Of the year
unless beaches with proper life guards
are established.
The solution of Washington's imme-
diate bathing problem seems to lie in
the plan now advanced. If public
funds can be found for the reopening
of the beach in the Tidal Basin and
the operation of a beach at Jones
Point, they should be used. Needed
funds may be obtained also through
the operation of the beaches them
selves and through popular subscrip-
tions, which will surely be liberally
offered by the District citizens when
the Commissioners call upon them.
The real need is to open the beaches
promptly and to equip them with
proper guards against drowning and
against injection.
= 1t has become evident that the per-
manent bathing problem must find its
solution IN the establishment of ade-
quate beaches, using river water. or
else only a minority of the people
can be cared for. The survey of the
lotion may be minimized and where
he public beaches may be best To-
Gated now undertaken by the United
States Public Health Service in CO.
operation with the. public health Off
GER of the District, will be of inesti-
mable value in handling this prop.
lem. In a letter TO the Citizens Ad.
visory Council Col. Sheriff., who has
given the matter much study, pointed
out that obviously it would be impos
sible to establish artificial bathing
beaches of sufficient capacity to re-
place the Tidal Bathing Beach and the
beach At Jones Point.
The Star last Winter pointed out
the danger of a complete abandon
ment of public bathing facilities on
the ground of a conflict of interests
at the Tidal Basin and the pollution
of the water and urged that at the
same time that the established old
beach and the proposed new beach
were abandoned provision for public
bathing should be made elsewhere.
Everybody must now cooperate in
order that the people of Washington
may have place to bathe during the
present Summer. which has opened
with intense heat and has already cost
heavily in drownings for lack of
proper beach equipment.
The Weather Bureau comma nds re.