Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-03
AUXILIARY AIRPORT
ASKED IN REPORT
OF COMMISSION

VI OOWWlSSION
Continued From First Page.)
showed that If the Gravelly Point tract
were already filled today It would re-
quire at least five years before the MI
would settle suficiently to warrant the
construction of concrete runways or
warrant proper development of grass,
nevertheless, the commission believes
mat Gravelly Point possesses highly en-
couraging possibilities for the future in
the Capltal airport problem, and its
gradual development is favored to the
end that the future growth of conn
mercial air transportation at the Ma
for" P-0'Aueu
Not Temporary Part.
Earlier in the day Senator bingham
mad explained that an erroneous i'm
preston had been obtained bv some IN
tne enect that the first airport to be
oeVeioped Immediately at the south end
OF HIGHWAY Bridge was to be only tenn
porary. The Senator enophasized that
the commission felt that would continus
10 De the main landing field, because
u was so close to the city. even after
e4ravelly Point has been developed as
an adjunct later on.
Lindbergh Is Quoted.
The Airport Commission emphasized
IN ltS report the testimony given at the
hearings last year by Col. Charles A,
Llndoergh to the effect that one of
the most important things in the con-
Sideration Of a modern airport Is its
distance from the city. The reuort
quoted from the testimony of Col. Lind
bergh as follows:
II It requires an hour or an hour and
half or more to 60 from the airport
10 washington, and vice versa. that
takes away to a large extent any ad-
vantage from flying from q city such as
new YORK or Philadelphia to the Capf-
tai, inasmueh as the time required to
go to and from the airport adds SO
much to the flying time that there is
very little advantage over rail travel I
think distance from the city would be
OF primary Importance"
In summing up the conclusions It
reached from the testimony of all wit
nesses, the airport commission reported
as follows:
"out of the mass of information as
sembled from the statements of leading
avtators and engineers and the studies
conducted by the commission there
emerged the conviction on the part of
that body that the Capital City's air.
port needs embraced comprehensive
plan that would provide, in the final
picture, a close-in landing field and
port as loading and unloading ter
minal, and one or more auxiliary and
larger ports somewhat farther removed,
where facilities for maintenance, serv-
ices. overhauling and storage could be
had"
15-Minute Distance.
The report emphasizes that the air
port at the south end of Highway
Bridge, which is to be the main landing
field, will be within is minutes dis
lance from the business and hotel GEN.
ter of Washington.
The section Of the report dealing with
the financing Of airport reads as fol-
lows:
THE passage by Congress of legisla-
ton similar to the Cramton bill (HR-
Tor loan by the United States Govern
ment to the District of Columbia for
airport development purposes of $780,
OOO, without interest, to extend over
period OF 10 years and to be paid back
by the District of Columbia in 10 an
nual installments of $250,000 EACH"
The airport to be developed at this
time near the south end of Highway
Bridge would be kept, even when the
time arrives to develop and use Gravelly
Point.
This was disclosed today by Chair
man Bingham, who said that apparently
an erroneous impression had been gained
by some that this first development near
the bridge was to be only temporary.
He said the view of the commission
was that this airport near the bridge
would be more desirably located for con-
ttnued use as the main landing place, to
serve as a sort of union station. He
said that Gravelly Point would be only
about half q mile from this airport and
could be used as an adjunct to it after
the fillinS process has been completed.
Regrets C. of C. Views.
Senator Bingham suggested that one
administration building might be made
to serve both airports.
Senator Bingham described as "un-
fortunate" the view taken by offlcials of
the Chamber of Commerce toward The
plan outlined Saturday Of developing
the first airport by having the Federal
Government loan the necessary money,
to be repaid by the District over period
OF years without interest. The Senator
said that some of those who discussed
bAlC 0RPoACANAy AA0A OAAG
impression that the proposed immediate
development was to be only a tempo
rary expedient, but this, he said, was
not the commissions intention.
Report Not Yet Ready.
The commissions report was not
ready to be presented to Congress to-
day. The legislation to carry it out will
ask authority to relocate the military
highway separating Hoover Field and
Washington Airport to permit the join
ing Of these fields as the nucleus for
the Districts airport.
The bill also will provide for transfer
to the airport site of part of the De-
partment of Agriculture Experiment
Farms In addition to these provisions,
the bill will authorize the necessary
appropriation to acquire the land of the
two existing private flying fields. The
bill probably will be ready for introduce
ton at an early date.