Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-03
Questions CoIoneI's KnoWI-
edge of Work in Statement
Answering Criticism.
WANTS ISSUE SUBMITTED
TO POWER COMMISSION
Declares Willingness to Abide by
Decision, Regardless of Whether
His Stand Is Favored.

The debate between two Engineer
officers Of the Army-Col. U. S. Grant,
Sd, representing the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission, and
Maj. Brehon Somervell, District Engi-
neer for the Washington area-over the
future of Great Falls ard the Potomac,
became more acrimonious today when
Maj. Somervell replied to the statement
issued yesterday by Col. Grant, in
which Col Grant ridiculed the findings
Of Maj. Somervell regarding potential
savings to the public by power develop
ment.
In his statement today, in which he
questions the knowledge of engineering
displayed by Col. Grant in the Eaters
reports, Maj Somervell insists he is
willing to abide by facts reached indie
pendently by the Federal Power Com
mission-whether they favor his posi-
ton or not. He asks that the National
Capital Park and Planning Commission
likewise submit the controversy to this
independent" authority.
Report to Jadwin Cited.
Having in mind particularly state
U. S. Grant, 3d. vice chairman and
executive officer of the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission. Maj.
Somervell said that while he took the
colonel'S remarks seriously at first, he
has been unable to do so since I saw
his report to Gen. Jadwin in which
he stated that the food of 1889, which
reached its crest on June 2 of that
year, was due to an ice jam at Long
Bridge, this in June with the tempera-
ture in the seventies" Lieut.. Gen.
Edgar Jadwin, now retired, was chief
of Army engin GERS and chairman of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission. until his retirement from
the service late last year.
Maj. Somervell indicated that 'tre
newspapers are TO place to debate thu
merits of this question" and asserted
that if he is the spokesman for the
, Potomac River Corporation, as sug-
gested by Col. Grant Col. Grant must
be the spokesman for the Potomac Elec-
trio Power Co.." explaining that "the
greatest single beneficiary from the
CramSon bill, as it was originally writ
ten, would be the Potomac Electric
Power Co."
Tackling the assertion of Col. Grant
that Maj. Somervell is not park ex-
pert, the major said that he did not
SAd4A41 W VIC SuNAA, OOC POA1lVSO OuC lAloO
the park laid out around the power
development proposed by this Office fol-
lows exactly the report of the previous
Senate committee, under the chairman
! ship of Senator Mcmillan, which in
vestigated this matter"
Majors Statement.
Maj. Somervells statement follows:
II have read Col. Grants article,
/ which was evidently given to the news
! papers before being presented to the
proper authorities, as was the first let
! ter written by the parks commission
! TO the power commission. The news
papers are no place to debate the merits
of this question.
Col. Grant was requested to reply to
my statement on the Potomac by the
Senate District committee and declined
to do so. Had there been any merit in
! his contentious he should have adj
vanced them at that time, when he
could have been cross-questloned as to
his knowledge of the economics of the
development on the Potomac. The rea-
CONTINUED on Page 2, Column A.