Evening star., 1927-09-26
ANNEXATION HIT
BY SENATOR BALL
False Construction Put on
Alexandria Conversations,
He Declares.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

CLARENDON, Va, September %
Claiming that false construction has
been placed on conversations he had
with citizens of Alexandria, relative 10
plans of that city for anneXing a part
of Arlington County territory, as re-
ported by a committee of the AIRING
ton County Better Government Com
mission. State Senator Frank l.. ban
stated today that he is unequivocaliy
opposed to the annexation proposai
and has never suggested compro'
mise.
81 have never proposed compro-
mise in the annexation fight between
Alexandria and Arlington County to
any city official or any one else, Sen.
ator Ball declared. Il have stated
from the public platform IN pam
English language. both in Alexandra
CITY and this county, as well as in
Fairfax and Prince William, my oppo-
sition TO any further encroachment
by the city on county territory and no
one knew this better than the chair
man of the Better Government Com
mission.
Conversation Is Recalled.
"The incident he refers to came
about as follows: In June I was in
Alexandria campaigning in the pri-
mary fight. l dropped into the office
of Mr.. Charles HI. Callahan, commits
Sioner of revenue for the city, and
and was discussing with him the agl-
tatiCn then going on against me in
the city because of my stand on the
enabling act which | introduced in
the last session of the General Assem-
bly,. During the conversation he called
my attention to the fact that the
present boundary line between city
and county runs across lots and
and through one or two houses and
it was his conviction that it should be
Strengthened out so that the boundary
would accord either with a street line
or with property boundary lines 1t
is obvious that this is desirable, both
for city and county, and l told him
that l agreed with him. About that
time Mr.. Timberman. who. is now
president of the Chamber of Com
merce, came in and Mr.. Callahan told
him what / had said. He asked me
how l thought it could be brought
about, and l told him that the best
way was to have conference between
responsible bodies of the two jurisdic-
tions, such as the Chamber of Com
merce, to see if an agreement on such
a line could be reached that would
be satisfactory. The whole eonversa-
ton was merely casual one and Mr..
Timberman was only in the room for
q few minutes.
1.-THE only mention made of Four
Mile Run was by Mr.. Timberman,
who said that the city would like to
go to that boundary, as the Four Mile
Run Valley was a natural barrier. L
told him that it might appear so at
its mouth, but that an examination of
its course would show that it did not
hold good inland and that / did not
believe any court would hold that it
was the natural boundary line any
more than that Hoof's Run was
natural boundary line for Alexandria
on the west.
"I thought no more of the matter
until / received a letter from Mr..
Timherman a few days ago stating
that a committee of the Alexandria
Chamber had been appointed and that
he had asked for a like committee
from our local chamber.
Fought Because of Stand.
"Every one who has any knowledge
of local affairs knows that the officials
Of Alexandria, from the mayor down,
fought me very hard because / was
opposed to any further annexation
and because / stood for the enabling
act. My position is the same now as
always heretofore. My conviction is
that Alexandria cannot win its suit
and that the filing of the annexation
petition will be a vain thing which
can only result in arousing bitter Sec
tional feeling without making any
material change in present boundaries.
The petition will be contested by the
Board of Supervisors with all of the
f0rrn at IFS command
so far as l can ascertain there
have been no representatives of the
Better Government Commission sent