Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-05
Would Have Given Washing
ton Memorial Project ST.
100000 for Land.
$1,200,oO0 PROGRAM
PENDING IN MARYLAND
Virginia Unable to Act Before
Understanding Progresses
Under Original Measure.

Failure of the proposed amendment
to the Capper-Cramton park purchase
act in the session of Congress Just
closed will slow down the work of de-
veloping the George Washington Me-
mortal Parkway on both sides of the
Potomac River in the vicinity of WASH
ington.
Lieut.. Col. U. S. Grant, So, executive
officer of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, said today
that the amendment if passed, would
have released $4,000, 600 for the COM
mission to start on its land purchas-
ing program, making it easier to &C
quire desirable areas during the Sum-
mer without waiting for commitments
from Virginia or Maryland or their
political subdivisions.
Maryland Legislation Ponds.
Col. Grant pointed out that the COM
mission will still operate under the
original measure, and that the program
Will go forward between now and the
next session Of Congress- Legisla ton
which would authorize expenditure of
$1,200,000 for parkway projects. This
measure, If passed, Col. Grant asserted
today, would represent considerable
progress In the program of making the
George Washington Memorial Parkway
a reality, for the Federal Government
must wait until the States or their
political subdivisions, or contributions
are Forthcoming, before the Treasury
Department can share Uncle Sans ex-
pense under the parkway expansion.
The law now requires that there must
be some definite commitment before the
Federal Government can pay out its
funds for parkway land.
Surveying in Progress.
In Virginia, the colonel said, failure
OF the amendments to the Capper-
Cramton act to be enacted will mean
that the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission will have to work
on scale measured by what lands or
money would be contributed to the
project. In Virginia, at present, there
is no State authority that can commit
the State to the parkway project by au-
thor1zing the expenditure of funds, and
the Virginia Assembly does not con-
vene until next Winter.
Col. Grant pointed out that the COM
mission can match its half with any,
contribution that may be advanced as
the law now stands.
Surveying has been going forward in
the parkway and the commission at its
meeting this month will take up the
question of how 1t can now best pro-
coed.
Failure of an authorization measure
providing for the road which will link
the Virginia end of the new Arlington
Bridge with the Lee Highway to the
South will have little effect on the pro-
posed opening Of the memorial bridge
early next Winter, Col. Grant said to-
day. The bridge project, he asserted.
will go forward regardless Of the fail
ure OF the measure, which would have
provided highway along the northern
edge OF Fort Myer and the cemetery,
10 connect with the Lee Boulevard in
the vicinity of a point west of Fort
Myer.
Grading Required on Island.
Col. Grant said that while this new
road Is highly desirable, as affording
additional traffic facilities, he explained
that for the present traffic will be ac-
commodated. The Arlington Memorial
Bridge project is now being carried
forward into Arlington National Gene
terry and the new Memorial avenue,
under construction, can be used by
motorists desiring to go to the Lee
Boulevard by utilizing the present road
that passes along the oil companies
properties, leading to Rosslyn, Va.
Considerable grading work will have
to be done on Columbia Island before
a highway can be constructed in a
northerly direction, where it is pro-
posed to erect another short bridge
across Boundary Channel The north
ern end of Columbia Island will have
to be raised in order to bring it up
to the level Of the present fill, across
which roadway leads to connect up
the larger and smaller bridges in the
Arlington Memorial Bridge project.