Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-23
MARYLAND LEADERS
BOOST PLANNING PLAN
FOR GREATER CAPITAL

Continued from First Page)
tive mood than even he anticipated.
He said the Governor was firmly be-
hind the movement and would give
his support to the proposition. being
fully awake to the great possibilities
for the development of the two
counties adjacent to the National
Capital.
In explaining the program of the
Federal Planning Commission, Lieut..
Col. L. S. Grant. Sd. its executive of
f1Cer, said that those on the commits
sion had gone at heir jobs in the
belief that Congress intended def
nitely to recognize that there was TO
be National Capital extending out
side the limits of the District of Col
umbia when it created this commits
sion. 1t realized also that Congress
had no intention of extending the
limits of the District of Columbia
across the borders. but merely evinces
its appreciation of the possibilities.
He said that cities throughout the
country were facing the same matter
of expansion. He saw hope in meet
ing the Districts problem. when Gov.
Richie appointed the first commits
sion to cooperate with the Federal
body.
Cooperation Seems Sure.
Col. Grant pointed out that. if the
people of Maryland went at it with
a will there was no reason why the
highest cooperation could not be
brought about with mutual good to
all concerned. He warned them that
it would be necessary to approach all
the matters in connection with the
planning openly, adding that all
things worthwhile are subject or com
promise.
He said the Federal Commission
was willing to help as much as II
could. Col. Grant asserted the Fed
eral commission did not want to point
out how to solve the problems, but
stood ready to give the Maryla no
body any suggestions that 1t could
use.
He told his auditors that they must
first have elementary planning; second
if the territory was to grow as the
front door of the National Capital, 1t
must have a planning body with per-
manent personnel, and third, it must
have some manner of preventing
harmful mistakes in development
and some method to carry out the
work in definite way-that is appro-
priationS. He pointed out that the
project was too big for the Federal
Government, the State government
or the county government to carry
the load-that it was necessary for
each to contribute its share.
The opportunity for development is
there, he said, and it is an inspiring
opportunity.
Frederick A. Delano, member of
IL FOL Do ri nd H.
ming Commission, called attention to
some of the mistakes in and around
Washington in the matter of develop
ment. A look at the map, north of
Florida avenue would indicate to al
most any one that the ball had been
muffed many times, he said. He ex-
planned that cities throughout the
country were experiencing the same
condition as is faced here, spreading
of people into the suburbs. pointing
out that Washington was adding from
IS, 900 to 10000 people year in the
suburbs.
Cites Approach Needs.
He called attention to the need for
developing the avenues of approach
into the National Capital, and pointed
out the Virginia approach to the Key
prevented. He said that there the
had spent more than 81
600, 900 in the construction of magni-
fcent bridge, and landed it on the
Virginia area most unsightly. Six
teenth street should be dignified and
carried on into Maryland, he said.
Maj. Carey II. Brown, engineer of
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission. called attention to
the great opportunities here, pointing
out that 1t is glorious section of the
country. Within a few hours ride, he
said, one could be in the proposed
Shenandoah National Park, in the
Valley, at Harper's Ferry,
along the Chesapeake Bay or at Point
Lookout. 1t is a part of the picture
which the park and planning COM
mission is trying to paint, and in the
painting of which, he said, it needs
the cooperation of the Maryland
body
If Maryland is to profit from the
great development which is to be
literally forced upon it by the expan.
sion of the National Capital, Oliver
Owen Kuhn, president of the Mont
gomery County Civic Federation, told
the meeting. it must act now. for il
cannot afford to wait. He said that
the Federal commission was drawing
plans encompassing a city of 1900
0O0 people within short period of
20 years, and added that one who
sees these figures cannot but en-.
vision the vital Importance of Mary.
land starting now in some orderly