Evening star., 1926-05-23
ZIHLMAN WOULD SAVE FORTS
FOR WASHINGTON PARK SYSTEM
Maryland Representatives Bill Intended to Bar
Sale of Two Posts to Private Buyers.
Capper Pledges Aid.

the Government 10 the other. II the
measure becomes h law then 1t will be
necessary to include the money in an
appropriation bill.
AS soon as the measure ordered &c
ported by Senate committee on mill
tary affairs is passed by both houses
the two posts will be appraised. and
are to he sold at not less than this set
value. States within which the posts
are located and municipalities near
them are given six months Within
which to exercise an option TO pur-
chase. If they are interested, but
have not tire funds with which to pur
chase, the present law gives them the
right To make known their purposes
to the War Department, and then
they will be held for two years longer
before they are finally put on the open
market for sale to private individuals.
II is expected that the House com
mittee on public buildings and grounds
will send the bill to the National Capt.
tai Park and Planning Commission for
formal report as to the desirability OF
purchasing these lands. Both Senator
Capper and Representative Zihlman
are members of the Park Commission
by virtue OF their chairmanships of
the District committees Of Congress.
II is not believed likely that the bill
mission, as the members OF that body
who have discussed the matter indi-
cate that they are as unit in favor
Of the retention of the posts under
Federal control.
Looking to Future Growth.
The L'Enfant plan for Washington
as laid down by this French army
officer, and which was modified BY
the so He'd Mcmillan plan of 1901.
is being followed by the National
Capital Park and Planning Commis-
sion in laying plans for the develop
ment of the park system and street
system of the city today. With the
growth of the movement to develop
the areas in Maryla nd and Virginia,
In cooperation with the govern
ments OF those two States, as a part
Of the great metropolitan area we'll
underway. those who are watching
the advance Of the Capital forsee in
the not very distant years the time
when II will reach these two posts.
Fort Washington is an occupied
post. having a battalion Of the 18th
United States Infantry. attached to
the district OF Washington. This
battalion it is proposed to transfer TO
Fort Meade. Md. as its permanent
pOSr. Inc post Is fndUe ODSOlete b6-
cause of the development of the de-
Tense batteries at the entrance to
Chesapeake Bay, in accordance with
modern long distance artillery de-
velopment. The batteries at Fort
Washington have to some extent
already been dismantled, and those
that have remained have not been
used for some time, except by meEi-
bers of the 260th Coast Artillery of
the National Guard of the District
Of Columbia.
Other branches of the Guard in
former years have used this land for
training purposes, and when pur-
chased both posts will furnish an
adequate camping ground for any of
the National Guard units. thus re-
tanning their military as we'll as their
historic value.
In the early days of the Capital.
during the trying periods of war,
members of the District militia were
dispatched there in time of need and
many of the ancestors of the people
of Washington today fought for their
country from its heights.