Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-29
AIRPORT CLOSING
THREATENED DUE
TO BIG MEMORIAL
Commerce Department May
Act if Columns Are Erected
on Island.
MENACE TO AIR TRAVEL
Is SEEN BY OFFICIALS
Conference Called for Thursday to
Discuss Navy and Marine
Project.

to erect two giant granite columns on
Columbia Island and to permit con-
Struction Of the Navy and Marine
Memorial, the Department of Commerce
may close Washington Hoover Airport
to all transport operations for the sake
of safety. it was indicated today.
The shafts and memorial will con-
stitute so serious a menace to pilots
and passengers flying from the air
terminal that, rather than risk the de-
struction of loaded passenger plane,
the department would force the removal
Of operations from the field.
While the department has no author
ity to order the closing of the airport,
it could stop every passenger plane
operating from the field by taking up
the operating licenses Of the Ave lines,
which now carry between 5000 and
1000 passenges month in and out
of the Capital.
VIII Confer Thursday.
The fate Of the Columbia Island de-
velopment and the immediate future
of air transportation in the Capital will
be, taken up Thursday at conference
between Col. u. S. Grant, Sd, executive
Commission; Col. Harry H. Blee, d.
rector Of aeronautic development of the
Department of Commerce, and spe-
cial subcommittee Of the Washington
Board of Trade, composed OF Lawrence
E. williams, chairman of the Aviation
Committee; William P. MacCracken,
jr., former Assistant Secretary Of Com
merce for AeronauticS, and Charles M.
Saxelby.
Revival of the fight for construction
of a great governmental air terminal
at Gravelly Point by filling In the river
fats south of the railroad bridge across
the Potomac probably will result from
the Columbia Island situation, 1t was
indicated.
At the suggestion Of John j. Esch.
former member of the Interstate Com
merce Commission, the Board Of Trade
Committee will ask Col. Grant to delay
construction Of the Columbia Island
monuments and the planting OF large
trees on the island until development of
the Gravelly Point site can be carried
out.
May Take Legal Action.
Should the Bridge Commission per-
sist in its plans to develop Columbia
Island, it was indicated, legal steps
probably will be taken to protect the
from the airport. This action might
take the form of request for an in
junction against the erection OF the
Navy and Marine Memorial and the
200-foot granite columns.
Mr.. MacCracken declared 1t would
be an Outrage" from the point Of view
of aviation to permit the erection Of
the memorial and columns so close to
the airport. Mr. Esch suggested the
lot fnV I1n fol Nd
umns be completed but the erection of
the superstructures be delayed.
Board Of Trade action against the
construction of the Columbia Island
obstacles to air transportation was de-
cided upon at a special meeting of Mr.
williams Aviation Committee late yes
terday.
Road Closing Dropped.
After hearing the protests of Mr..
MacCracken, Mr. ESch, John S. Wynne
of the Washington Hoover Airport, and
others, the committee appointed the
special subcommittee to confer with
Col. Grant and Col. Blee.
A resolution urging the closing Of the
portion of Military road between the
two halves of the airport was tabled by
the committee. This action was taken
after it was learned there is dis
agreement between the owners of the
properties on both sides of the road.
Though Washington Airport and Hoo
yer Field were combined into the pres
ent Washington Hoover Airport for
operating purposes, the two areas still
are owned by firms which have not
merged. Closing Of the road would cut
OF all approach to the Hoover Field
area and would destroy the value of
the property for use as anything but
nj he nA~ aya@
Washington Airport'S owners to pur-
chase the land at virtually their own
terms, 1t was explained.
Memorial Plans Laid.
The Fine Arts Commission now has
under consideration details OF the pro-
posed columns to be erected on Column
bia Island. H. p. Caemmerer, the
commissions executive secretary, said
today no decision has been reached and
Is not likely to be before the next COM
mission meeting, scheduled for the lat
ter part of October.
Each of the columns would cost
5000, 900, officials of the Arlington Me-
mortal Bridge Commission revealed.
The tentative plans for the two col
umns provide that they would be $50
feet above the level of Columbia Island,
which is IS feet above the surface of
NAA~ Va OAAC EOIOIIldC 0AAC
would be placed $50 feet upstream of
the main bridge thoroughfare, while
the other would be $50 feet downstream
from the main avenue.
Would Be Illuminated.
At the base of the columns there
would be an encircling has relief, con-
tanning some kind of symbolism. De-
tails OF this had not been determined
before aviation authorities objected to
the columns as a menace to air navt-
CATION. The main shaft of the col
umnS would be fluted, like those Of the
Lincoln Memorial. The columns would
be surrounded by an ornamental CAPT.
tai and lantern effect at the top. On
the peak an aluminium electric torch is
planned, which the officials believe
would provide warning to night flyers.
Offcials Of the Arlington Memorial
Bridge Commission said the founda-
tions have just been designed for the
column, but there is no intention of
starting work on them soon. The foun-
dationS alone would cost about $780,
600 for both columns.