Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-17
NAVY AIR STATION
LAND IS OWNED BY
WAR DEPARTMENT
Army Officials Warn Sailors
Against Permanent Build
ingS on Site.
SOLDIERS GIVEN AREA
NEAR BOILING FIELD
Congestion of Either Landing Field
Believed to Be I'm
likely.

The Army Air Service is glad to hav'
! its fiving brethren Of the Navy as tenn
| porary guests at Boiling Field. bu
there is such a thing as taking advan
tage of hospitality.
When temporary guest openly make
/ preparations for what looks like per
manent occupancy of the premises,
| is about time to remind the guest tina
the property, after all, belongs to some
| one else, the Army believes.
| Thus 1t has come about that tn
! War Department has sent the Navy De
partment a polite, but firm. statemen
! that it would be inadvisable for tn,
Navy to place any permanent construc
ton" on Boiling Field, except with tn
clear understanding that its tenur'
there Is not permanent"
Plan New Buildings.
| Reference is had TO the Naval All
. Station at Anacostia. which occupies
the waterfront OF Boiling Field. anc
! for which a $500 900 new building pro
! gram is due to begin shortly.
ANY such construction" the Army
| advised the Navy. would become thu
property of the War Department wheI
! the Navy gave up its temporary occu
pancy."
It has been made clear to the Nav,
that there never was any intention or
the part Of the War Department to &C
cede to any plan which would give th'
Navy a permanent status on any par
Of Boiling Field.
The land occupied by naval aeronau'
tical activities comprises an area which
formerly was a part of the Anacostis
or Potomac Rivers, with adjacent
swamps, until. by the act OF June Is
1902. it was reclaimed under the juris-
diction of the Secretary of War for pari
development and Identification pur-
poses.
When war was declared in 1917. botf
the Army and the Navy established
aviation activities on this site on op-
rosite sides of the area. and these activ'
tiles have continued to date. PERMITS
sion to use this property was granted
the Navy Department by revocs5l-
license issued by the Secretary OF War
Under the terms of the act approved
June s. 1920. the reclaimed land ws'
expressly set aside as a military reser-
walton to be used for aviation purposes
Million Invested.
For the past 10 or 13 years, tbs
Naval Air Station at Anacostia has
with the implied approval of the Wal
Department gradually developed ano
improved this naval activity until to-
day it represents an investment Of near
ly million dollars. Under the provi-
sions of the 1881 naval appropriation
bill, the Navy Department is now ready
to receive bids and award contracts
for urgent work consisting of new
and permanent barracks, mess hall ano
Office building, and a heating plant
at a total estimated cost Of $500, 900
In view of the apparent objections tc
the erection by the Navy of any per
manent construction at AnacoStia. the
Navy Department naturally hestitates
to proceed with any further construc-
ton.
1t is interesting TO record In thi,
connection that recently the War De
partment has been given congressional
authorize ton and appropriations for
the acquisition and development of an
extensive tract of land for aviation pur-
poses known as the Giesboro tract and
WHICH llto 10 IIlO SOuLIl
of the present Boiling Field. This tract
contains, it Is understood, some 500
acres of land, its authorized cost being
100000. An additional amount, in
the reighborhood OF $1,000 900 has been
authorized for the War Department
to develop this new area.
Air Station Important.
The Anacostia Naval Air Station is
primarily an activity for experimental
and test work, and although not par
ticularly extensive in size, 1t is a most
important unit in the naval aviation
organization. 1t also affords the neces-
sary facilities and terminal required for
the routine governmental flying, and
for the continued maintenance of fly
ing efficiency by aviation personnel of
the Navy Department. A Naval Re-
serve aviation unit is and has been
maintained at Anacostia for some time.
It is of the utmost importance that
both the Army and the Navy main
tain adequate and efficient flying fields
and stations close to the National
Capital.
Those inclined to uphold the Navy
in their contention that they should
remain at AnacoStia. point out that II
the present Boiling Field site, including
after years of use, to meet the require
ments Of the Navy, that they cannot
understand why objection should be
made TO their continuance after the
field has been expanded.
Congestion Unlikely.
The absence of operating difficulties
between the two services in jointly &C.
cupying the present field conclusively
indicates that the development Of
the Geisboro tract, and the wide sepa-
ration that will exist when that devel-
opment is completed will forever re.
move, in all probability. any likelihood
of congestion between the aerial activ-
tiles of the two services.
1t Is doubtful whether suitable new
area could be found within the con-
fines of the District of Columbia fol
the establishment Of a new naval air
station, and If such site could be-
found, its development would involve
an enormous outlay OF funds and many
years of work. The matter will be ad-
iusted, it is expected, either by perma-
nent agreement between the two de-
nartments or by transfer of title,