Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-08
Commissioners Advocate In
itiaI Outlay Of $2;600,O00,
Divided With Government.
MAJ. DAWSON GIVES
VIEWS AT HEARING
Army and Navy Representatives
Favor Area in Testimony
Before Joint Group.

Establishment of Washington's air.
port at Gravelly Point, with an initial
outlay of $4,000, 900, divided equally be-
tween the United States and the Dis
trict. was urged by the District Com
miSsioners at the opening of the hear
ings before the congressional joint COM
mission on airports at the Capitol today.
The recommendations Of the city
heads were unfolded to the Senator's and
Members of the House by Maj. Donald
A. Dawson, Assistant Engineer Com
missioner, who recently made tour of
several cities to study airports there.
The plan, as outlined by the Com
missioner, would call for a gradual de-
velopment, starting with the outlay of
$2,6o0,o0o and reaching a final total of
Sc, ,OoO, 900.
They recommend that the reclaim
ing Of Gravelly Point for airport pur-
poses be carried on by the War Depart
ment Engineer Off1ce for this part of
the country and that upon its comple-'
tion 1t be turned over to the District
Commissioners for supervision. The
Gravelly Point area is Just south and
across the channel from Hains Point.
Area Requirements Cited.
The Commissioners suggest that at
the outset the air port at Gravelly
Point could cover an area of 5000 feet
by $500 feet and that eventually as
the need increases tho Gould he
extended to 5000 feet by $500 feet.
Maj. Dawson said that detailed esti-
mates have been prepared showing the
cost of reclaiming the Gravelly Point
area and equipping it for airport pur-
poses.
Earlier In the day testimony by rep
resentativeS of the Army and Navy
favorable to Grayelly Point as the site
for Washington's airport was given at
the hearing.
Army and Navy Views Given.
The spokesmen for the War and Navy
Departments also agreed that military
aviation activities should be handled
separately from commercial and
civilian airport. The views Of the Navy
were presented by Comdr. John H.
Towers, and the Army was represented
by Maj. Frank Kennedy of the Air
Corps, who began flying at College Park
In 1911 in the pioneer days of aviation.
Another feature of the opening Ses-
sion was the testimony of Porter
Adams Of the National AerOnautic ASso-
citation, who testified that no city in the
United States is in greater need of an
adequate airport than Washington, that
the Capital should have the best air
port that can be provided and that 1t
should be established and its operation
supervised by the Federal Government.
The hearings got under way at 10
o'clock in the rooms of the Senate
committee on territories. with Chair
man Bingham, Republican, of Con-
necticut, presiding, and the following
other members present: Representative
Zihlman of Maryland, vice chairman; !;
Senator Jones of Washington, Repre-
sentative Underhill of Massachusetts,
and Representative Nelson of Maine.
Maj. Brown Ready to Testify.
Mai. Cary H. Brown of the National
Capitol Park and Planning Commission.
was present, ready to testify later in the
day.
Corndr. Towers placed in the records
a letter from the Secretary of the
Navy, taking the position that the
NAVY I1ecQS dLl dn SLdl1OlI III WdolA~
ington remote from other flying facil-
tiles in order to carry on aerial re-
search and experimental work, and
stating that the present station at
Anacostia meets that purpose. No at
tempt should be made t. incorporate
the needs of the Navy in the proposed
airport development for Washington.
The letter further stated:
1.-THE Navy Department considers that
there exists real and growing need for
an airport In the District Of Columbia,
due not only to the large population OF
the City of Washington, but also to the
fact that it is the National Capial. The
proposed site at Gravelly Point appears
to be highly satisfactory location for
the proposed airport. Its nearness to
the Naval Air Station at Anacostia may
cause some interference with the work
of the Navy, but it is not believed that
this interference will be Of a serious
nature"
While Maj. Kennedy was testifying a
few moments later regarding the future
Continued on Page 2. Column g.