Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-03
r INAUGURATION day will be a
source Of humiliation to the

source Of humiliation to the
aeronautical people of the Ma
= tional Capital. This city dur
ing the coming week will receive
not a little well deserved but
nevertheless unpalatable publicity
on its lack of adequate airport
facilities.
Military and commercial pilots
and passengers from all parts OF
the country have been invited to
take part in aerial parades and
exhibitions tomorrow and Tues
day in connection with the inau-
gural ceremonies. The biggest mes
sage they probably will carry home
with them regarding the National
Capital will be: How that town
needs an airport!"
This Is not the only source of
chagrin to the Districts aviation
people, however. Inauguration day
means the termination of another
session of Congress. AS the legis-
latorS fold up their brief cases and
troop away they carry with them
the last hope for construction of
local airport for at least another
year. It now seems unlikely that
the District will be able to begin
construction of its own airport be-
fore the Summer of 1880, and it
probably will be 1882 before the
field will be ready for flying.
AS a result of the lOng-con-
tinued procrastination on the part
of Congress the National Capital
is in grave danger of losing it's
place on the New York-Miami air
mail line, which is the only direct
MIX this city has with the airmail
system of the country. The use
OF Boiling Field as an airmail stop
has been granted by the War De-
partment under the terms of a
revocable permit, which, of course,
may be withdrawn at any time.
Army people make no effort to
conceal the fact that they are OPP
posed as a matter of principle to
the carrying on of civilian flying
operations from strictly military
flying fields such as the local Air
Corps post. F. Trubee Dawson,
Assistant Secretary of War for
AeronauticS, who, by the way, has
a very good chance to succeed
himself in the Hoover administra-
ton, has stated publicly and with
considerable emphasis that the
present situation at Boiling Field
Is unsatisfactory to the Army and
will not be permitted, to continue
any longer than is necessary.
The use OF Boiling Field, Secre-
tary Dawson pointed out, was per-
mitted only with the understand
ing that the District would COM
mence the construction of NUM-
cipal airport at the earliest pos
Slble moment. The existing permit
was issued in 1927 and, since there
Is no assurance today that the
District will have its own public
airport before 1892, it should be
no cause for Surp~i-2 if the War
Department loses it's patience and
clears its field for it's own use.
The movement of Boiling Field
from its present site to higher and
dryer grouno nearly a mile to the
South is contemplated. There,
II the Army chooses to take
1t, Is a splendid opportunity to make
change Of base the signal to
terminate its present unstable
relations with the airmail con-
tractors. Should this step be taken
the District of Columbia will find
itself cut out of the airmail map
Of the country at a time when
commercial aviation in the United
States Is expected to feel its first
real growing pains.
Washington's aerial visitors to-
day are being accommodated at
Boiling Field, which, as has been
stated, is 80 unsatisfactory for fly
ing purposes that the Army is
making ready to abandon the
place. For the past week Boiling