Evening star., 1928-12-16
Another Airport Champion.

The District welcomes the acquisition
of another strong champion for its long
delayed airport. Senator Bingham of
Connecticut not only speaks with au-
thority on aviation, for he is president
of the National Aeronautic Association,
but he occupies a peculiarly strategic
position, as newly appointed chairman
of the subcommittee of the Senate han
ding District appropriations. Speaking
last night at the banquet which closed
the first meeting of the International
Civil Aeronautics Conference, he said,
1T is indeed discouraging for one to
return from a visit to European coun-
tries where magnificent facilities are
provided for the landing of planes and
to remember that no airport exists in
the Capital of the United States"
It is discouraging to Washingtonians
in more ways than one. 1t is discourag-
ing because the landing of Lindbergh in
Paris year and half ago sent a wave
of enthusiasm throughout the United
States which left in its wake scores of
municipal airportS where none existed
before, but this same wave, striking
Washington with terrific force. spent
its efforts in vain. Today the first
spadeful of earth is yet to be turned
on Washingtons airport, and the earth
in which to turn the spade lies buried
many feet below the tranquil surface
of the Potomac. 1t is discouraging
because the question of financing
this airport for the Capital of the
United States has turned into a de-
bate over whether the voteless tax
payers of the District. or Uncle Sam,
would make greater use of the landing
field. And it is discouraging in that
the Bureau of the Budget has decided
that an airport, not financed from Dis
trict of Columbia revenue, would be In
conflict with the Presidents economy
program.
Senator Bingham's reference to the
airport last night was not an express
sion of humiliation over the fact that
the citizens of Washington had failed
to build an airport. The disappoint-
menI he voiced was over the lack of
an airport in the Capital of the United
States. And if there is disgrace in this
lack, it is national not local dis
grace. AS long as the Federal Gov
ernment expects the citizens of the
District, alone and unaided, to build an
airport conforming to the needs of the
Capital of the Nation, just so long will
the disgrace continue. If the unmet
needs of the District are considered as
deficits, the District is head-over- -heels
in debt right now, and consideration
of further expenditures is out of the
question.
The District Commissioners yesterday
forwarded to Senator Capper their re-
port on the Capper bill for the develop
ment of an airport at Gravelly Point
In this report they contend firmly that
the expense should be borne equally by
the District and the United States. The
Budget Bureaus comment, to the effect
that if all the funds were drawn from
District of Columbia revenue the bill
would not conflict with the Presidents
economy program, was inclosed. The
District will now look to Senator Capper
Senator Bingham and to its other
friends on both sides of the Capitol to
decide an equitable basis upon which
to finance the airport, and to build one
as fitting landing place for the aerial
visitors from abroad who within few
years will be guests of the Nation.