Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-24
D. {. THREATENED
WITH ELIMINATION
ON AIR MAIL LINE
Postal Official Sends Out
Warning to City to Select
Landing Field Soon.
MOONEY MAKES PROTEST
ON GRAVELLY POINT
Baltimore Will Be Chosen if Action
Is Not Taken in Time,
Glover Says.


over the selection of District airport,
Assistant Postmaster General Warren
I. Glover curtly warned Washington
today that unless site is selected
soon that meets with the approval OF
the Department Of Commerce, he VIII
wash his hands Of the whole affalr
and designate Baltimore as landlng
pIace for air mail between New York
and Atlanta.
Upon receipt of a sharp protest
today from Postmaster William M.
Mooney against the tentative selection
of Gravelly Point, Mr.. Glover de-
clared the Post Office Department ala
not care where the airport was located
lust so it met with the approval Oh the
proper authorities.
"The Post Office Department Is look
ing at Washington just as 1t LOOKS a.
EI Paso, TEX, or any other place,
he told The Star after receiving POST
master Moneys protest. WashlnS-
ton can locate the airport at GraVeily
Point or Benning, or anyWhere-n
makes no difference to us, pfoVlueu
the Bureau of AeronauticS approves
Place Is in Danger.
.rNhat Washington has got to re
member is this If the question ism
settled in time, we will entralh ar
mail here for Baltimore and use that
city as a landing place. When we get
an O. X. on a site here, the Post oiIlce
Department will be ready to go.
Otherwise Washington Will lose us
place on the schedule.
nostal officials should be given more
consideration in the selection OF an
air mail landing place, wrote the AS
sistant Postmaster General protesting
against Gravelly Point, chiefly on ac-
count of fogs and delays in gettlng
mail into Washington after arrival al
the proposed field. He favored. III
stead. the selection of the Bennlng
tract. which Lieut.. Donald Duke.
Army Air Corps. reported IS some
what dangerous landing field a1ter
making a number OF actual tests WIFE
a light Army pursuit plane.
Commissioners Disappointed.
Disappointment was expressed py
the District Commissioners TO-DAY
when II was learned that it would be
virtually impossible for Col. Lind
bergh to make a fight, before his de-
parture, over the various airport sites
under consideration here. Lieut..
Duke was unable to fulfill his wish
to take Lindbergh for a half hours
fight.
When he arrived here yesterday Col.
Lindbergh had expected to remain lln-
til Saturday, which would have given
him an opportunity to inspect the
various sites in dispute. Has opinion
from the practical viewpoint of an air
mail pilot was desired and it was
thought that his opinion would help
iron out some of the difficulties now
District officials in connec-
tion with the half-dozen sites proposed.
Situation Is MuddIed.
The objections of Postmaster
Mooney muddles the situation, hinging
over the selection of Gravelly Point
more than ever. Lieut.. Duke has
proposed a compromise plan whereby
Boiling Field could be used as night
landing field for the mail planes, with
their hangar at the south end of the
field near the steel plant at GiesbOro
Point This would not interfere with
operations on Boiling Field. he be-
lieves, and should remove the objec-
tions of the War Department to the
temporary use of the Army field. In
the meanwhile he and Maj. w. f.. X.
Covell, Assistant District Engineer
Commissioner, believes Gravelly Point
should be constructed into perma-
nent airport.
Postmaster Moneys letter to Mr..
Glover points out that the Benning
tract could be made available in a
short time, Is more convenient to the
post office than Gravelly Point. and
could be used free of rental until
permanent site is selected, regardless
Of whether the Benning tract ultl-
mately is designated as an airport.
Holds Distance Too Great.
His letter said, in part, as follows:
81 wish to go on record as opposed
to Gravelly Point from a post office
standpoint. 1t has many objections
in comparison with the Benning tract,
the latter providing every facility and
at the same time advantages of surer
and speedier mail facilities and con-
nections, and in the end the eXpedl-
tious dispatch and receipt of mail ana
the meeting of schedules should be the
principal thought in the minds OF the
committee.
''On the 22d instant I visited the
site Of Gravelly Point, as near as II
could be located, which is at the east
end of the railroad and south or the
south end of the railroad bridge.
Gravelly Point can be reached by an
open highway through q culvert un-
derneath the railroad and about l
mile south of the bridge, on the way
to Alexandria, Va. The distance to
the post Office via Peace Monument,
Maryland avenue and 3 street south.
Continued on Page 2, Column L.