Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-27
STOP ON AIR MAIL
ROUTE VIRTUALLY
ASSURED CAPITAL
War Department Prepares to
Grant Temporary Use of
Boiling Field.
REQUIRES ASSURANCES
OF PERMANENT AIRPORT
District Officials to Urge Need for
Aviation Facilities at Meet
ing Tomorrow.

A place for Washington on the
schedule of the New York-to-Atlanta
air mail route was virtually assured
today when it became known that the
War Department is preparing to issue
authorization to the District for tenn
porary use of Boiling Field.
Use of Boiling Field temporarily, it
was declared, WOULD be conditioned on
that it would make early and ade-
quate provision for a permanent COM
merCial airport.
Lieut.. Donald Duke, chief of Army
airways, conferred this morning with
+. Trubee Dawson, Assistant Secre-
tary of War for Aviation regarding
the use of Boiling Field. Mr.. Davis
son, who is understood to have agreed
to giving the District these privileges
at Boiling Field, is said to be willing
to issue the necessary authority pro-
vided it meets with the approval of
the Department of Commerce. That
approval is conceded as certain.
The Assistant Secretary of Com
merce in charge of aviation. William
p. MacCracken, is absent and will not
return to Washington until tomorrow
morning. 1t was expected that of
not be forthcoming until then.
Public Meeting Tomorrow.
With the use of the field practi-
cally assured, Maj. w. E. r. Covell,
Assistant District Engineer Commits
sioner, is confident that the public of
Washington will arise to the occasion
and make it absolutely certain that
the project for permanent field will
h> ;A1
public meeting tomorrow afternoon in
the City Club, it was expected. would
crystalline public opinion behind the
airport project.
Unless the War Department grants
use of one of the Army hangers at
Boiling Field it would be necessary
under the arrangement for the Dis
trict to erect hangar of it's own,
|'Cr else erect one on Giesboro Point,
the adjoining area. Mail planes land
ing at Boiling Field then could easily
taxi to their hangar without incon-
venience corporation at the Army air
base. Lieut.. Duke has estimated The
cost of such a hangar and additional
equipment at $35, 900
Now that the problem of a tempo
rary landing field appears solved, it
remains for the District officials, with
Commerce, to decide on a permanent
site.
Maj. Covell made it clear that his
report with regards to a permanent
airport site, work on which was be.
gun today, would be submitted to the
Aeronautics Division of the Depart
ment of Commerce for approval be-
fore it is submitted to the District
Commissioners. In other words, If
the Department of Commerce does
not o. X. the selection of a site, the
search will all have to be started over
again.
Two Sites Considered.
According to Lieut.. Duke, upon
whose advice Maj Covell has been re.
lying, the six sites under consideration
have dwindled to Gravelly Point, sit
uated on the Potomac below Highway
Bridge. and the Benning tract, an
equal distance from the Post Office,
IN the northeast Benning section.
City Postmaster William NJ.
Mooney has precipitated a serious
controversy by protesting against Sc
lection of Gravelly Point because of
its distance from the Post Office and
the fogs to be encountered on the
river. Both of these objections. from
the viewpoint of aviators, are said
to be invalid.
Provided Boiling Field is to be used
temporarily, while the contentious
over a permanent site are being
threshed out. it became a certainty
today that Giesboro Point is the
dark horse" to be considered. Since
Congress will have the final say, the
question of moving the Army air
base to Giesboro Point and permitting
Continued on Page 4, Column IL