Evening star., 1926-06-12
FORT FOOTE SALE
ORDERED DELAYED
Old River Site May Be IncIud-
ed Yet in Park System
of District.

Public sale of the old Fort FOote
military reservation. on the Maryland
side of the Potomac River, eight miles
below Washington. which was 70 nave
been held early next month, has been
postponed indefinitely by the War Pc
partment. to permit of a reappralSe-
ment of the property. AS result OF
that action the National tapltal lily
and Park Planning COMMISSION ana
others interested will have more lllie
to press the movement to have Foft
Foote incorporated into the parking
system of the District. together with
Fort Washington. Md, and Fort
Hunt Va.
The status of Fort Foote differs
from that of the other TWO forts IN
that Congress already has authorized
It's sale, hut has not approved the
recommendation of the Secretary OF
War for the sale of Forts Washing
ton and Hunt The act providing for
fhe sale of Fort F'oote was approved
March 4. 1928. Under the provisions
of that act the State of Maryland
and Prince Georges County We're
given the option of purchasing the
propertv for parking purposes AT
it's appraised value. and if neither de-
sired it for park purposes IL was To
he sold for the highest bid received
above the appraised value.
War Department officials at that
time appraised the property. which Is
about 66 acres in area. at S2.49A. The
State of Maryland and the County of
Prince Georges each waived its option
of purchase more than two years ago
and the War Department then called
for bids from private citizens and
corporations. Many bids were re-
ceiyed but We're not opened. as 1t
had been decided in the meantime to
allow additional time for Congress to
consider the proposition, then strong
" backed, to have the reservation
included in the District parking sys-
TEN, instead of passing under private
control.
Failure of Congress to act in the
matter in the intervening two years
RECENTLY Influenced officials of the
War Department to proceed at once
with the plans for the sale under the
law. Before calling for bids. however
Mai Gen. Cheatham quartermaSter
general of the Army. made a personal
!nspection of the old fort. now in the
hands of a Caretaker. and was i'm
pressed with the fine situation and
natural beauty of the reservation. He
and Col. Stone. military executive or
the Assistant Secretary of War, VINO
accompanied Gen. Cheathem. con
cluded that the original appraisem"nt
of S2,49S was entirely too low. On
their recommendation it was decided
hy the Secretary of War to have the
property reappraised by a competent
board of local real estate men before
putting it up for sale. Under the eX-
listing law the property cannot be sold
for less than its appraised value. 1t
will take several months to make the
appraisement. and the question of
transferring the reservation to the
National Capital parking system in
stead of selling it may be presented
to Congress again.
Appreciation of Maryland property
along the Potomac River in the vi
cinity of the District is attributed by
some officials TO projected highway
improvements in that section and in
the District connecting Herewith. The
National Capital City and. Park Plan
ming Commission already has ap-
proved plans for two highways along
the left bank of the river from Boil
ing Field. IAnacOStia, to Blue Fields,
al the District line opposite Alex