Evening star., 1928-12-19
Would Retard GraveIly Point
Project, Is Board of
Trades View.
600 ACRES ARE OFFERED
FOR TEMPORARY FIELD
rendered to Government for Sum
of $100,000-Hearing Is Held
by House Committee.

A proposal made today to the House
District committee that the Govern
ment establish municipal airport for
Washington on 900 acres Of tract
acquired for a commercial air junction
two miles south of Alexandria met with
5harp opposition from the Washington
Board of Trade.
The position of the Board of Trade.
as stated to the committee through
Robert j. Cottrell, its executive secre-
tary, is that even the temporary estab-
lishment of an airport on the proposed
site pending the development of
Gravelly Point would serve to retard the
ultimate filling-in of the Potomac River
site, which all Federal and District
aviation experts have agreed unani-
mously is the logical site for munici-
pal flying field.
Special Meeting Held.
Although the bill authorizing
$l,500,000 appropriation to develop a
District airport at the Gravelly Point
site Is awaiting action in the House, the
District committee held a special meet
ing this morning to hear proposition
from Henry WoodhouSe, president of
the Aerial League of America, who,
with others, has acquired for CONNER
eial purposes 1000 acres of land once
comprising parts of the estates of
George Washington and George Mason.
This proposition, as outlined to the
committee, proposed the acquisition by
the Government, at cost, of about 900
acres for the, development of an air.
port that would be suitable for future
requirements" or the use to the Federal
or District governments of such land as
would be needed until Gravelly Point
should be properly developed. Mr.
Woodhouse estimated 100000 would
cover the cost of the land. which he
said would require very little work tc
be made into an airport.
CottrelI Gives Opinion.
On behalf of the Board of Trade,
Mr.. CottreH expressed the opinion that
his organization regarded such q pro-
Viewpoint Of the District r. members
81 CONGRESS knew that the District had
temporary airport In VirgiQia he
told the committee, II don't think they
would be inclined to develop an ideal
site at Gravelly Point for which there
is a crying need. All the air experts
of the Federal and District govern
mentS, with many other prominent n.y.
erS, who have inspected the sites around
Washington, are In accord that Gravelly
Point is the logical site for municipal
airport"
It was pointed out to the committee,
furthermore, that the proposed site south
of Alexandria was six miles from the Po-
tomac and nine miles from Washing
ton. All aerial experts, Cottrell said,
are agreed that the needs of the future
Is an airport on a water site which
would be accessible for seaplanes as
well as land craft.
From another viewpoint, he said: II
am quite sure, as far as MIR. Wood
houses offer Is concerned, that we
would be opposed to any money being
spent in Virginia for District of
Columbia airport. AS this is the Fed
eral city, such an airport should by
all means be located within the limits
of the National Capital. We don't be-
lieve the Federal Government would
want to have an airport terminal out
side of Washington.
THE Board of Trade would like this
committee to go very thoroughly into
this proposal and determine it solely
upon its merits" he added. But we
feel sure District municipal airport
should be located at Gravelly Point"
Representative Underhill of Massa-
chusettS, acting chairman of the COM
mittee, expressed the opinion that per-
haps the 100000 expenditure required
at the commercial site would offset the
disadvantages of distance, especially
when larger area could be acquired
for that sum than for the expenditure
nf az IA lfxy Driy Ell
He asked Cottrell what the Board of
Trade thought about such PROPOSE
ton. "Off-hand," the trade board repre-
sentative said, IT would say that the
establishment of an airport for the Ma
tional Capital at 100000 would be ex-
tremely cheap-so cheap that 1t would
be bewildering."
Aviation Chairman Called.
Lawrence williams, chairman of the
aviation committee of the Board of
Trade was called upon to give infor-
nation, as an aviator, about fog con-
ditions and the possible dangers in
volved in an airport so near Washing
ton as Gravelly Point. He testified that
fog conditions such as found at Boil
ing Field and Gravelly Point are being
rapidly overcome through Government
research work and minimized the dan
ger of accident on account of new motor
development.
Mr.. Woodhouse made 1t clear to the
committee that he has favored Gravel
ly Point as site for District air.
port from the first. but he pointed
out. in submitting his offer. that the
area for which the appropriation of
$1,500,000 is sought involves only ZIG
acres.
THAT will not be sufficient for large
air liners. but it will be sufficient to
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