Evening star., 1935-11-09
No metropolitan Area
For the Nations Capital

To the Editor OF The Star:
Your valuable paper probably never
contained a greater collection of inaccu-
racies and fallacies than is found In an
interview with Frederic A. Delano,
printed on page B-l November 3, 1885.
The first error Is the term "metropoli-
tan area" applied to Washington. This
designation Is an importation from Eng
land. The City of London, originally
small in area and population, is now
extended over q metropolitan area" Of
great extent and enormous population.
London has legitimate metropolitan
area
Washington has no so-called metro
politan area" 1t has jurisdiction over
nothing. Washington City is merely
the Federal Capital" lawfully restricted
to the legal boundaries of Washington
as they existed in 1871 and of George
town as they existed in 1895. 1t is merely
a part of the District of Columbia area,
which is the seat of Government of the
United States.
New York City. claiming a population
of 10,901 ,434 census of 1890 for its
metropolitan area counts in over
100000 persons living in Connecticut
and New Jersey. 1t has no jurisdiction
over adjoining States; merely working
In New York City gives no citizen or
resident rights to inhabitants of Con-
necticut and New Jersey. New York City
cannot extend its metropolitan area
to contiguous States, because it cannot
exercise any such juriSdictional power
there as London has and does over ad-
joining counties.
States cannot make treaties. To add
additional area to the District of Co.
lumbia, the people concerned should
first vote to find out if large majority
approved. Next an act of the State
Legislature should be applied for, to
see If all the people of the State are
willing to part with any of its territory
II favorable in these two respects, the
State Legislature should then pass an
act Of cesSion or retrocession. 1t would
| further be necessary to secure accept
ance of the area by Congress. But the
| District of Columbia cannot be more
than ten miles square without an amend
ment to the Constitution OF the United
| States.
Any parts Of Maryland or Virginia
| added to the District Of Columbia must
| be governed exactly the same as other
| parts of the District. There can be nc
voting rights for some that are not
extended to all, and no District taxes
| can be diverted to State treasury.
Washington never was on the Virginia
side That part OF our seat of Govern
| ment was the County of Alexandria, by
| act of Congress. February 27. 1901. Con-
| greSS prohibited any Government build.
| ingS on the Virginia side. The people
there also lost their State and national
voting rights. Becoming dissatisfied, they
wanted to return to State jurisdiction
Congress required that they get an act
| of the Virginia Legislature agreeing u
make Alexandria County a part Of the
| State. When this was passed Congress
| permitted the people concerned to vote
on the question, and 1853 voted for return
and 222 against. BY proclamation oi
| August IT. 1846, President Polk carried
out the wishes of Congress and 'the
| voters.
| The District of Columbia is far from
being built up. 1t has been brought tc
its present development by the generos-
| ity, sacrifice and burdensomeness of the
inhabitants of the District from 1871 tc
the present day, with the tardy help oi
the United States Government.
Until the Districts 8-mile- square area
has been developed to a point befittins
the seat of Government of this great
Nation, this idea of neglecting it now tc
| crafty an itch for spending colossal sum.
for the benefit of outsiders may we'll anc
fairly be postponed in justice to those
who have toiled long and arduouSly V
make it so grandly what it is.
| JOSEPH w. CHENEY.