Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-21
AIR FIELD CHANNEL
CLOSING OPPOSED
Arts Commission Against
Plan to Fill Stream for
Proposed Port.

Vigorous opposition to the closing of
Boundary Channel, separating Columbia
Island, in the Potomac River, from the
Virginia shore, for the purpose of per-
hitting an extension of the proposed
Washington Airport was expressed yes
terday by the Commission of Fine Arts
This was announced today by the COM
missions chairman, Charles Moore, who
presided at yesterdays sessions
When the water gate, near the Lincoln
Memorial is finished, Mr.. Moore eX
planned. the commission looks for
great increase of boating in the upper
Potomac River. Columbia Island will
be great resort for boating. Just like
Belle Isle, near Detroit, Mr.. Moore said
An important link in this program is
the keeping open of Boundary Channel.
Mr.. Moore asserted that very eX-
pensiye bridge is now nearing compile
ton over Boundary Channel and now
to dry up this waterway and fill 1t in
for airport land would seem inadvisable,
for then this pretentious bridge would
be going over no water at all. The Ques-
ton of closing Boundary Channel came
up before the bridge was ever started,
Mr.. Moore pointed out, and the COM
mission and the Arlington Memorial
Bridge Commission decided that this
should not be done.
Land Titles Involved.
The chairman of the Pine Arts Com
mission put forward the suggestion that
the Government should give to the COM
mercial aviation concerns for a period
of years its rights to Government lands.
so far as 1t may give these rights, as
there is tangled situation involving
land titles on the Virginia side of the
Potomac River. The land title question
has never been clearly settled by the
courts and considerable doubt still exists
as to whether the Government owns up
to the high water mark. and if so. just
to what high water mark-that of 1871
or a subsequent one.
Mr.. Moore believes that If the COM
mercial concerns are permitted to de-
velop an airport, with the aid of the
Government, Washington will get
better airport more rapidly.
Development of an airport at GRAY
ely Point will come in the natural
course OF time, Mr.. Moore said, ex-
pressing the belief that by 10 years
hence extensive landing fields will not
be required, due to mechanical i'm
provement in the airplanes and for
other reasons OF engineering and
science.
The question of an airport on the
site of the present Boundary Channel
must be considered in the light of put
ting a flying field between Arlington
and the public" Mr.. Moore asserted.
Approved Other Plans.
The Commission of Fine Arts has no
objection to the development of an air.
port where the Washington Airport and
Hoover Field are located, as it has
already placed its stamp OF approval on
the proposed construction program of
airport development in that area. The
washington Airport is now constructing
an administration building and hangar
there.
The granting of a part of Arlington
Experimental Farm will close up that
entrance to Arlington, Mr.. Moore
pointed out, in explaining that the
whole question is very complicated and
needs further study by the commission.
The commission approved the pur-
chase of the Henry K. Bush-Brown
buffalo group to be placed in the Ma
tional geological Park. The exact site
for the placing of this group will be
determined after consultation with Dr.
William M. Mann, the superintendent.
This group was on exhibition at the
Union Station and was viewed by hun
dreds of visitors to Washington
Further consideration was given to
the George Rogers Clark memorial, to
be erected in Indiana Sponsors of
this memorial are appearing today be-
fore the joint committee on the library
at Capitol Hill.
Inspect Arlington House.
Following an inspection of Arlington
House, in Arlington National Gene
terry, the commission approved the res
toration now going forward under di-
rection of the quartermaster general of
the Army. Ferruccio Vitale, landscape
architect member of the commission,
will study the proposed plans for the
landscaping of the grounds of the VEN
cradle mansion.
The commission gave attention to
proposed stadium at the end of East
Capitol street, overlooking Anacostia
Park, and approved a suggested design
submitted by the allied architects,