Evening star., 1925-01-28
SPEED ADVOCATED
ON BRIDGE PROJECT
House Committee Wants
Work Started on Arlington
D. Memorial Structure.

Urging that the Arlington Memorial
Bridge, "a beautiful and patriotic
project" be begun as early as pos
sible, because after work is started 1t
win be at least FIVE years before it
oan be opened to traffic, unanimous
report from the House committee on
public buildings and grounds was
Med in the House late yesterday on
the bill which passed the Senate De-
cember 80.
Representative Richard n. Elliott
Of Indiana, chairman of the commit
tee, in his report reviewed the his
tory of this legislation. which has
been advocated since Andrew Jackson
was President.
1t is proposed that the bridge be
constructed across the Potomac from
\ point near the Lincoln Memorial
TO an appropriate point in the State
OF Virginia, which will give a much
needed approach to Arlington Ma
tional Cemetery from the Capital for
great memorial exercises and give
the National Capital the finest en-
trance OF any city in the world.
AEitated IS Years.
In his report Representative Elliott
called attention that "a memorial
bridge across the Potomac River
leading in the general direction of
the Lee Mansion, on the Arlington
estate, has been under consideration
by the Congress and the executive
departments for more than 75 years.
Congress has on several occasions
passed laws pursuant to which pre-
1iminary plans have been prepared
for this bridge. Yet in each case.
due to delay in the authorization and
active prosecution of the work of
construction, the project has been
allowed to languish and fall asleep
without definite action being taken
toward authorization of the project
Finally in 1913 law was passed in
the public buildings act of March
which provided that commission be
created, to consist of the President of
the United States. the President of the
Senate, the Speaker of the House of
Representatives and the chairmen of the
committees on public buildings and
grounds of the Senate and House of
Representatives, for the purpose of in
Vestigating and reporting to Congress
suitable design for memorial bridge
across the Potomac River from the city
of Washington to A point at or near the
Arlington estate, in the State of Vir-
ginia. The commission was authorized
to eXpend the sum of s25.0 in procur-
ing such designs and for making such
surveys and estimates of cost.
delayed Nine Years.
Nothing was dore under this authori-
zation until nine years later, when an
appropriation was made in the executive
and Independent offices appropriation
act, approved June II, 1922, reading as
follows:
ITO enable the commission created by
section % of the public buildings act APP
proved March 4. 1913, to investigate
and report to Congress a suitable de-
sign for a memorial bridge across the
Potomac River from the city of Wash
ington to a point at or near the Airing
ton estate, in the State of Virginia, to-
gsther with such surveys and estimates
OF cost as they may deem advisable, to
be expended under the direction of the
commission and 70 remain available un-
til expended, 200.
Immediately after the passage of
this act work was actively COM
menced on general plans and esti-
mates for the proposed bridge and
its appropriate approaches and ac-
oessories, with the result that on
April %. 1924, the President trans
mitted to the Congress the prelimi
nary plans with report and recon-
mendation of the Arlington Memorial
Bridge Commission, whose member
ship is composed of Hon. Calvin Cool
idge, President of the United States;
Hon. Albert B. Cummins, president
Of the Senate; Hon. Frederick H.
Gillett, speaker of the House of Rep
reseEtatives Hon. Bert NJ. Fernald,
ch%HF-fan, Senate committee on pub
lie buildings and grounds; Hon. John
W. Langley, chairman, House commit
tee on public buildings and grounds.
This commission unanimously ia
vors the immediate commencement of
this important and generally ap-
proved project, under 10-year pro-
gram of construction, with a total