Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-02
U. S. Will Have No Authority
to Build Section This
Year.
VIRGINIA GOING AHEAD
WITH STATE PORTION
But Fort Myer Gap Will Make
Road Useless-Blow to Ar
lington County.
BY LESTER n. INsKEEP.

Despite the withdrawal of objections
by the War Department and of last
minute efforts by the officials of Airing
ton County. the legislation authorizing
an 100000 appropriation for erection
by the Federal Government of con-
Meeting link of the Lee Boulevard,
Though corner of Fort Myer reserva-
ton 10 the new Arlington Memorial
Bridge, is dead as far as this session
of Congress is concerned. according to
information received today from Chair
man Elliott Of the House Committee on
Public Buildings and Grounds
Chairman Elliott stated that his COM
mittee has not given one moments
hearing or consideration to the bill, and
is to hold no meeting for this purpose
before the close of the session.
War Department Recedes.
Because the War Department has
withdrawn its opposition to the proposed
road it was hoped by those supporting
the legislation that the bill might be
rushed through the House. But even
If the House committee favorably re-
ported the bill there would be Slight
chance of it getting through in the Jam
OF bills which have been waiting their
chance on the calendars of the House.
Further than this, even If the House
should pass the bill, it would still be
nnPOoslolC W get Tile appropriation
through. because the second deficiency
appropriation bill already has passed
through the conference stage, with the
conference report to be made to Senate
and House today, with probability that
it will be approved by both houses.
Undismayed by this situation, Super
visor B. NJ. Hedrick of Arlington dis
tr1ct stated today that he still has hopes
that sufficient influence may be brought
to bear upon House leaders to have the
measure favorably acted upon. While
passage OF the bill is not impossible,
many of the leading members of the
House find themselves incapable of
carrying out their pledges for a large
number of measures of national inter-
est because OF the last-minute rush, and
for this reason it is held highly i'm
| probable that sufficient pressure could
| be brought to bear to have the boule-
| ward bill even considered.
Blow to Development.
Failure Of the House to act on this
| measure is severe blow to Arlington
development.
The Virginia State Highway Com
mission is starting work this week on
the construction of that part of the
| boulevard which has been authorized
By the State and for which 100000
has been allocated. Virginia's section
| boundary of Fort Myer and continue
westward to Fort Buffalo, at a point
| just beyond Falls Church.
When questioned today, H. G.. Snir-
| ley, chairman of the Highway Com
mission, stated that the failure of Con-
gress to take action on the construc-
| ton of that part through the military
reservation would have no effect upon
the States program.
The commission asked RI r1r0-
vide an adequate approach to the new
bridge for Virginia and is now doing its
best to carry out the provisions of that
request. The State would even have
been willing to construct the road all
of the way to the bridge if it had been
possible to acquire free title to the
right-of-way through the Federal prop
erty, it was said.
Dead End at Fort Myer.
According to Commemorative At
torney William c. Cloth, who has been
acting for the State in the condemna-
ton proceedings necessary to the clear.
ing up of the rights-of-way, the boule-
ward will come to dead end at Fort
Myer and be of little use to any one
until some provision is made for the
Governments participation in the con-
struction of the actual approach.
The boulevard, for which most of the
r1ghtS-of-way were acquired by the
National Boulevard Association, is to be
40-foot pavement over a route 200 i.
feet in width and it was proposed to
play large part in the relieving of the
traffic congestion that must result dur
ing the bicentennial celebration next
year, as well as providing a connection
to the bridge from the Shenandoah
National Park and Valley sections of
Virginia and for all traffic approaching
Washington over route SO, which is
taking large part of the cross-country
travel from the National Highway be-
cause of the easier grades.
AS the situation now stands the new
bridge will be almost wholly inaccessible
to Arlington County, for the Mount
Vernon Boulevard, even if completed,
touches the county only to the extent
of passing along the shores of the
Potomac River to Alexandria through
an almost uninhabited section.