The Washington times., 1927-06-16
CRISIS
AR0USES D. {.

II Washington fails TO provide
municipal airport before August /,
II viii be dropped from the main
Atlantic Coast airway from Boston
to Key West, It was indicated to-
day by the Department OF Com.
merce.
Once dropped from this route
Washington win find 1t virtually
impossible to regain its place on
the main Eastern highway OF the
air as the route to be selected
before July / for the airmaiI serv-
ice win be permanently lighted.
Baltimore now looms as the prob
able stopping point between PhiIa-
deiphia and Richmond because of
preparations which have been. made
there for the establishment of
great airport, costing 81 500 ,0O0
Should Baltimore win out over
Washington. the main Atlantic air
line will pass miles to the east.
ward of Washington. the Depart
ment of Commerce announced.
To Be Permanently Marked
The airline from Baltimore to
Richmond, which will be Illuminated
and permanently marked, passes
through Camp Meade, Md, near
Upper Marlboro. through La Plata
and crosses the Potomac River at
Matthias Point, q few miles above
Colonial Beach, Va.
Once this route is designated and
beacon lights and emergency land
ing fields established, washington
may as well bid farewell to its
chances of being on one of the
nations important airways, it was
indicated.
Il have preached the necessity
Ior establishing a municipal air.
port In Washington without getting
any response at all from Washing
tonians, declared William p. Mac.
Cracken. Assistant Secretary of
Commerce for AeronautIcs.
Unless this city gets busy TODAY
and guarantees civic airport i'm.
mediately it will be a matter Of
regret for the people Of the District
In the future.
Washington should, more than
any other city. take the lead in
the development of aviation. That
It Is not doing so is a reflection
only upon itself"
Commerce Ready to Aid
Secretary MacCracken declared
that the aeronautical division Of
the Department of Commerce will
pc glad to aid in surveying and
laying out the local airport aa
soon as Washington citizens settle
Gown to the business of providinp,
the desired municipal air field.
charles ]. Stanton, former chief
OF living operations of the aIrnaiI
service and now an engineer for
the Department of Commerce avia.
ton bureau, now il engaged in Law.
ing out the permanent Atlantic
coastal airline from Atlanta north.
burg. anu spartan
/ This work will be extended IN
richmond and from there ia Pb;Is.
uelphia az soon as the Postoff;c.
department decides whether A.
route Is to go through Washirvto,,
or through Baltimore. 'oi'
Not only the airnail aervle. 49,.
aerial passenger and transport serv.
80 VIII be provided for by the
proposed development. Pitcairn
AViatlcn' Inc, successful bidder On
the airmail line, is expected "a
open q passenger service in con.
nectlon with Its mail service within
year or two. with transport
service to follow.
Aroused by the plea Of Col
CHARLES A. Lindbergh for the estab.
lsnment OF municipal airports IN
every city and large town and nv
the seriousness of the local aer !,
nautical situation, the National
rress Club today recommended 10
the United States Chamber of Com.
merce the enlistment Of local
chambers and trade bodies in a na.
ment. 70 eiop'
Assistant Engineer Commissions,
W. =. r.. Covell who has heen "a.
rected by the District Comnajssionar,
10 make study of what the ,District
can 40 to acquire a nunicinaI a..
port, began today to man out : nro.
gram looking toward the acouisition
of site. 80 14si' iOii
Although the Postoffice Denart
ment has indicated a preference foy
the old Benning race track ~ i sits
.or the proposed municipa1 field. Ma.
yor CoveH determined to make 4
thorough study Of every possible
location within the District and The
surrounding area before finally 81.
Letting a site. =
among the sites under considera.
ton, In addition to the Benninp
race track, are the Hoover Ayia.
ton Field. Gravelly Point, Giesboro
Point, a 1OO-acre tract near the
Episcopal Theological Seminary, on
the Alexandria ). eesburgh Pike. ard
property In southwest washington
adjoining the Washington Barracks
Major Covell today began to CO