Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-04

meeting of the executive committee Of
the department of the District Of Co
lumbia, the American Legion, last week
was that of the proposal to create a
large and permanent commercial, mu-
nicipal and Federal airport on the Viz
Cinia side of the Potomac River, 1mme-
diately adjacent to the grounds OF
Arlington National Cemetery as well as
directly across the river from the Lin
coin Memorial and Potomac Park.
Resolutions adopted by George Wash
ington Post, the pioneer post Of the
American Legion, Lincoln and the Tank
Corps posts protesting against the To-
eating of an airport in this locality, pre-
viously adopted by these posts, and OBJ
jecting to the dissertation of Arlington
by subjecting it to the noise, confusion
and danger attendant upon continual
airplane operations were presented 10
the executive committee. 1t was pointed
out that the amphitheater and the
= Tomb of the Unknown Soldier are con-
tinuously raided, while funeral services
are frequently interrupted by the swoop-
ings and roarings of airplanes.
The Legionnaires feel that the loca-
ton of the proposed airport near Ar
lington Cemetery would cause concen-
tration of air traffic at that point and
thus serve to multiply and intensity
the annoyances necessarily resulting
from the noise and confusion OF such
trafic They also felt that it was the
primary duty of all veterans of the
armed forces of the United States to
guard and preserve the sacredness OF the
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the
grounds dedicated as the final resting
place of veterans from every State in
the Union.
To this end resolution was unan-
fy,a0afelu od0ntod Y1r0taStin0 AGAINST the
location Of any permanent airport In
the vicinity of the cemetery and also
urging the abandonment with all prac-
ticab,e speed of the landing fields now
maintained in that vicinity. The reso-
luton has been forwarded by Depart
ment Adjt. Howard S. Fisk to the ma
tional headquarters of the American
Legion in Indianapolis, requesting SINH
lar action to that taken by the local
department, and National Executive
Committeeman Paul j. McGahan was
instructed at the coming meeting of
the national executive committee to
present the matter to that body for
action. In the meantime the resolution
was sent to committees of Congress
and last week the protest of the local
department was embodied in the records
at the hearing held by the congressional
committee in this connection.
The resignation of Department Comdr.
L. e. Atkins, effective May Is, came
as surprise to some of the members
of the executive committee, when it
was read to the executive committee
by the department adjutant. The res
ignation was accepted With regret by
the Legionnaires and, as an expression
of the esteem in which he was held, a
farewell dinner has been planned and Is
now being arranged for May Is at
Villa Roma, where those with whom he
has been associated during his term
of Office will pay tribute to him on this
occasion.
The committee in charge of the fare
well dinner Is composed Of First Vice
Comdr. Charles H. Knight, chairman;
nent Adjt. Howard S. Fisk, National
Executive Committeeman Paul j. Nc
Gahan, DR.. B. G. MacNeill, Thomas
D. Walsh and w. L. A. Strawbridge.
The question of the proposed re-
moval Of department headquarters from
the Transportation Building to the old
National Hotel, Sixth street and Penn
sylvania avenue northwest, which has
been purchased by the District Govern
ment for the Municipal Center, was dis
cussed at some length and q committee
appointed to investigate the matter and
report to the next meeting of the ex-
ecutiye committee, which will be held
May 81.
Past Department Comdr. Harlan
Wood addressed the meeting and pre-
Sented a resolution petitioning the ma
tional president of the American Legion
Auxiliary to issue charter for a de-
partment for the several auxiliary units
now in existence in the District of Co.
lumbia, which are being governed by
an auxiliary council of which Mrs.
Amos A. Fries is chairman. 8. 1t was
voted to refer the matter to the next
department convention to be held in
August for final action, it being felt
that it was a convention matter
The following budget committee was
announced by Dept. Comdr. Atkins
Francis F. Miller. chairman Norman
B. Landreau, w. L. A. Strawbridge and
Watson B. Miller.
Chairman F. G. Fraser of the Boston
convention travel committee reported
that his committee was arranging the
details for the convention in Boston,
Mass, October 60. The committee was
divided into subcommittee as follows:
Funds, Miss Mabel F. Staub; travel,
F. G. Fraser Richard A. O'Brien, T. Ed
ward Jones' uniforms, Vincent Or
lando, e. c. Minter; hotels, Howard S.
Fisk.
In the commanders membership drive
in class for the Earl ]. Brown trophy,
Sergt. Jasper Post is leading, with 80
per cent of its membership paid up,
with U. S. S. Jacob Jones, runner-up,
with IA per cent. The others in their
order are as follows: George Washing
ton, SO per cent; Augustus P. Gardner
81 per cent; Victory, 40 per cent; Vim
cent B. Costello, A per cent; James E.
Walker, 80 per cent.
Jane A. Delano is leading in class 2
for the L. E. Atkins trophy, with 100
per cent paid up, followed by Lincoln
Post, with "a per cent; Bureau of En-
craving and Printing, 90 per cent; Sec
ond Division, 70 per cent; Lafayette
66 per cent; Stuart Walcott, 54 pei
cent; Henry G. Spengler, 81 per cent;
Kenneth H. Nash, SO per cent; Quentin
Roosevelt, Al per cent; James Reese
Europe, As per cent
The National Press Club is carryins
of first honors in class 3 for the Mabe
F. Staub trophy, with GIL per cent
Belleau Wood, So per cent; Cooley Nc.
Cullough, 81 per cent; Stephen p. Nc.
Groarty 81 per cent; Tank Corps, q
per cent; George E. Killeen, % pei
cent.
Comdr. Jane Breen and number o
the comrades Of u. s. s. Jacob Jone
Post, No. 2, attended the Societe des
Chapeaux ct 40 Femmes annual Ma
day party at the Marine Barracks las
Thursday.
Plans are being made for the pos
',irthday party, which will be held a
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