Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-02
THE action of the joint con-
gressional airport commits
sim in aurpRinQ llT1nn an

use or washington airport ana
Hoover Field, combined, as a
municipal airport, with Gravelly
Point designated for future ex-
pansion, does not mean that the
fight Of advocates of Gravelly
Point for the development of that
area has been won entirely.
The plan adopted by the COM
mission is in the nature of COM
promise, which was advanced by
the Washington Chamber of Com
merce and Board Of Trade when
it became apparent that stand
for "Gravelly Point or nothing
probably would result in nothing.
In advancing the compromise
plan these civic bodies did not
abandon their demand for Grav-
ely Point in any degree. That
development is insisted upon as
the ultimate goal for the Capital.
The compromise plan, as suggest
ed by the local trade bodies and
adopted by the commission is
sound and entirely worthy of sup
port.
One of the chief objections to
the Gravelly Point development
was that the process of filling in
the swamp area would take too
much time. The compromise GER
tainly offers the most sensible
way out of that difficulty.
With a temporary field in OPP
Grafton, the development of GRAY
ely Point could be carried fer
ward at a pace which would be
the most economical and effective
from an engineering standpoint.
Gravelly Point must be a recla-
nation project. The site now is
covered with water to an average
depth of something like 2 feet.
If the filling of the area is rushed,
it undoubtedly would be more
costly a process than would a
slower filling utilizing spoil from
the normal river dredging opera
lions and from city dumping. If
the program could be extended a
year or two, enough money prob
ably could be saved in the recla-
nation cost more than to pay for
the development and mainte-
nance of a temporary field. At
the same time aeronautical de-
velopment in the National Capital
would not be blocked.
The danger inherent in such a
compromise is that the temporary
field. wherever it is located, may
through legislative inertia become
permanent institution unless
the Gravelly Point construction
program actually is started at the
same time.
Gravelly Point and the tempo
rary field should be included as a
single legislative proposal. If the
temporary field is authorized sep
arately and in advance Of the
permanent airport, the National
Capitals dreams of a model air
port will not be realized for many
years. if ever.
This city has learned a good
deal since the World War about
the permanency of temporary"
developments Twelve years after
the war, temporary" buildings,
put up merely for war time occu-
pancy, still are in use, unsatiSfac-
tory and unsightly though they
may be. The Capital wants no
such temporary" airport.
If the compromise is to be
adopted, the District should sup
port single legislative proposal
providing for Gravelly Point and
the temporary field. 1t should be
insisted that the development of
Gravelly Point be started immedi-
ately, regardless of the adequacy
or inadequacy of the site which
has been selected to meet present
aeronautical needs of the Nation
al Capital.
There never has been more
unanimous support for any local
project than that for the develop
ment of Gravelly Point. One
member of the congressional COM
mission, which heard scores of
expert witnesses on the local air
port situation, stated publicly
that ION no committee of which
he had ever been member had
the testimony been so nearly
unanimous as that urging the
construction of the municipal air.
port at Gravelly Point"
There is no site in or near the
District which SO nearly meets all
the requirements for a model air.
port as Gravelly Point. There are
few cities in the world which have
potential airport sites as good
from every standpoint as Gravelly
Point. There is ample testimony
to this effect from experts in
every line of aviation.
The Washington Airport-Hoo-
yer REHABILITATION Farm site on
the Virginia shore between High
way Bridge and the terminus Of
the Arlington Memorial Bridge
should make a splendid tempo
rary field and could be made to
serve the needs Of the National
Capital until Gravelly Point can
be completed.
From the standpoint of location
this site is as near the ideal as
one could wish. There are in ex-
istence today all the necessary
communication facilities between
these fields and the city. No time
and little expense would be in
volved in preparing them for i'm
mediate use, since there is a large
amount of flying going on there
regularly.
Washington Airport, the larger
of the two flying fields, now is be-
ing enlarged by the filling of
swamp ground to the south and
west. The approaches are being
improved by the removal of the
old Arlington Beach buildings
along the river front. A first-class
concrete, brick and steel hangar
and an attractive terminal build
ing are being constructed. The
present improvement program is
to involve the expenditure of
c600 nm