Evening star., 1929-06-05
APPROVAL IS ASKED
OF RETROCESS|ON
Opinion Sounding Motion Is
Presented to Arlington
Civic Federation.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
was given the fight for the return of
Arlington County to the District Of
Columbia last night when j. Cloyd
Byars of the Arlington Citizens Asso-
citation presented a resolution to the
Arlington County Civic Federation ia
voring re-establishment of the original
District lines.
At request Of Mr.. Byars the resolution
was ordered referred to the constituent
bodies of the federation for their in
dividual action, final action by the fed
Grafton being reserved until all have
been given ample time to study the
project and reach a decision.
Return Called Desirable.
A return to the District is desirable
for divers reasons, the resolution sets
forth. First, because the General AS
sembly of Virginia has repeatedly re-
fused the people of the county the
right to determine for themselves what
form of government Is best suited for
its citizens"
Second, for the reason that the
courts of Virginia have on two occa-
sions upheld the demands of Alexan-
dria City for such territory as 1t de-
sired to annex, thereby greatly reduce
ing the county's revenue snd taxable
values"
Third, because many able jurists be-
lieve that the retroceSsion act Of 1846,
whereby short-sighted Congress at
tempted to lop of about one-third of
the Nations Capital, was in violation
of the constitutional provisions for the
establishment Of a district not exceed
ing 10 miles square"
Fourth, because "the Federal Gov
ernment is now handicapped In the
Identification and development of the
south side OF the Potomac as q part
of the District of Columbia, by reason
of the act Of retrocession." .
Continuing, the resolution states:
Now, therefore. Be 1t resolved by
the Civic Federation of Arlington Coun-
ty. first, that the re-establishmenS OF
the original District lines would enable
the Federal Government, to work out
its plans for such parks and boulevards
as it deems essential to the proper
Identification and improvement of the
Nations Capital. and will assure the
people of Arlington County many, public
improvements now enjoyed by the peo-
pie of Washington, which, for years to
come, will be impossible under exist
ing conditions in Arlington County;
second, that Congress be and is hereby
requested to take such action as may
be deemed necessary looking to the
return of said territory by Virginia to
the Federal Government, or to test the
constitutionality of the retrocession act
of 1896"
Issue in Campaign.
Mr.. Byars. in speaking on the resolu-
ton. declared that If the project Is
favored by the citizens and it is worked
out through the General Assembly OF
Virginia it should be made an issue IN
the coming campaign for Arlington's
seat in that body. Suggesting that lt
might be tackled on grounds of the
retrocession act of 1846 being uncon-
stitutional. Mr.. Byars expressed the
view that the wishes of the individual
Arlington citizen would have no effect,
as the court will consider 1t ma
tional and not local matter. He
stressed the need of careful study OF
the project by all citizens associations
before action Is taken and urged that
selfishness be east aside in the con-
sideration.
Retrecession has at least one friend
In the District of Columbia. Maj.
Clayton Emig Of the Dupont Citizens
Association. a guest speaker, declared
that he was Fundamentally in SYM
pathy with the resolution. He, too,
expressed the opinion that the retro
ceSsion act OF 1S46 was UNCONSTITUTIONAL
in that Congress lacked the authority
to take such action without taking into
consideration the wishes OF other
States of the Union, particularly Mary
land. and on the ground that Congress
could not turn back Virginia's land
without doing the same for Maryland.
At that time, he said, the people
of Arlington were glad to return to the
Virginia Jurisdiction and he did not
blame them as they were not receiving
the proper attention from the District
of Columbia Now, however, he said,
this side Of the river is viewed through
different eyes. He requested that a
COPY of the resolution be sent to the
Federation of Citizens Associations of
the District of Columbia.
Municipal Airport.
Mai. Emig explained activities Of
himself and other civic leaders for a
municipal airport in the District of
Columbia, pointing out the dire need
of such a project. Faster tranSporta-
ton facilities were pointed to by Maj.
Emig as one of the outstanding needs
of metropolitan Washington. He de-
clared the best way to realize this was
to abolish parking along public trans