Evening star., 1934-12-15
Chief Of Army Engineers
Studies Request for ST.
300, 900 From P. w. A.
REAR ADMIR-. KING JOINS
OPPOSITION TO PROPOSAL
Representative Smith to Present
Bill in Congress if Plan
Is Rejected.

Formal request for q ~, 800 900
Public Works Administration alloca-
ton for development Of q model air
port for Washington ct Gravelly
Point today was before Maj. Gen.
Edward M. Markham, chief Of Army
Engineers, for forwarding to Public
Works Administrator Ickes.
Should the request for any reason
fail to be approved, Representative
Howard w. Smith Of Virginia is pre-
pared to introduce in the House as
soon as Congress convenes next
month a bill authorizing construction
of the Gravelly Point airport. he said
today.
Maj. Robert W. Crawford, district
engineer for the War Department in
the Washington area, late yesterday
sent the ofiicial request for the p.
w. A. loan to Gen. Markham for
transmission through oficial chan
nels. The amount requested Is the
total estimated by Army engineers to
be needed for the complete develop
ment of a 266-acre airport of the
most modern type, including all
dredging, filling. preparation Of site
and construction Of buildings and
equipment.
Several Days for Study.
It was anticipated that two or three
days will be required for study of the
project by Gen. Markham's Office and
the preparation Of his comment on
the situation. Gen. Markham is q
member of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, which re-
peatedly has indorsed development Of
Gravelly Point as an air terminal for
Washington. If the request is ap-
proved by Gen. Markham, it will be
forwarded by him, probably during
the coming week, to Secretary Dern
and through him TO Secretary Ickes.
Maj. Crawford cleared the request
through his Office in short order. after
1t became apparent that President
Roosevelt was personally interested In
developing Gravelly Point. Secretary
Ickes likewise indicated his interest
in advancing the Gravelly Point
project.
II Secretary Ickes authorizes funds
for the development of Gravelly Point,
the United States Engineer ONCE,
headed by Maj. Crawford, will push
the work Immediately, pumping up
sand and gravel from the bed Of the
Potomac River to fill in the required
land and at the same time give WASH
ington better navigational depths IN
the channel here.
Admiral King Joins Opposition.
Rear Admiral Ernest j. King, chief
of the Bureau of Aeronautics, today
added his voice to the service interests
opposed to the use of Gravelly Point
as an airport on the ground IL would
interfere with service planes at the
Naval Air Station at Anacostia. The
admiral asserted that for the time be-
ing, Gravelly Point might not seriously
interfere with service craft, but he
foresaw a real danger, with the growth
of commercial aviation here.
Admiral King believes Gravelly
Point would be too near the Naval Air
Station, where new planes for the
service are put through their official
tests-a most important work for the
Navy. The Navy has recently mate
rally improved its plant at Anacostia,
putting thousands of dollars worth of
Public Works Administration and
other funds into the development.
Naval aviation authorities pointed
out that at North Island, Calf, the
Navy has been having trouble with the
proximity of the Army air field there,
particularly because of seaplanes.
They anticipate similar trouble here,
If Gravelly Point is developed.
Division of Costs Problem.
Representative Smith, announcing
that he expects to begin preliminary
draft of his proposed Gravelly Point
bill at once, said:
II feel that Gravelly Point is by far
the best location for an airport in the
vicinity of Washington"
One of the major problems remain
ing to be settled in connection with
the preparation of the bill, Mr.. Smith
said, Is the division Of cost between
the Federal and District governments.
He expressed the hope that Public
Works Administration loan might be
granted so that work might be under
taken on preparation of the landing
area without the delay which would
be attendant upon passage of author
izing legislation by Congress and the
subsequent obtaining of the necessary
80, -sAkt rievn