Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-09-12
GRAVELLY AIRPORT
DENIED BY ARMY
Engineers Office Spikes
Testimony Area Being I'M
proved for That Purpose.

The War Department today put a
damper on testimony before the Dis
trict- Virginia Boundary Commission,
which indicated that development Of
an airport for Washington is in prog
ress at Gravelly Point If the face Of
opposition of members of the House
District Committee to the use of that
area for airport purposes.
The Office of the district Army engi-
neer for Washington explained that
although materials dredged from nav
igation channels in the Potomac and
Anacostia Rivers have been dumped
behind levees at Gravelly Point, and
probably will be dumped there for
many years to come, the engineers are
not building an airport.
"Gravelly Point is merely conven-
lent for the reception of dredged ma
terials," officials Of the engineer Office
explained. During the course Of
normal dredging operations. however,
it would take years to fill in an area
large enough for an airport. The
land is being improved but it is be-
yond our jurisdiction to say to what
use the land eventually will be put"
Ball Precipitates Discussion.
Testimony that the Gravelly Point
site is being filled came up in the
middle of final argument today by
former State Senator Frank L. Ball
OF Arlington County before the Boun-
Diary Commission and Immediately pre-
cipitated a discussion of the airport
situation. Ball contended that the
Government has no right to take about
IS acres of the Washington Airport
area involved in the boundary fight.
Meanwhile there were rumors to the
effect that after all the arguments
have been finished and the record Is
complete, that opposing counsel might
confer with reference to arriving at
an amicable settlement of the area
still in controversy. No Official con-
firmation of this rumor, however, was
forthcoming and plans went forward
for former Senator Ball to complete
his final argument today. and for
Henry H. Classic, special assistant at
torney general to begin rebuttaL
Wall Now in River.
During the discussion Chairman
Charles H. Brough of the commission
asked if the Government might not
want to locate an airport on the
Virginia shore.
II think" replied Ball. "they do
want to put an airport down below
Washington Hoover Airport. They
have a rip-rap wall built out there in
the river already. I am very glad you
asked that question"
II was told by member of the Park
and Planning Commission, said Chair
man Brough, that filling was going
on there"
The chairman explained that when
Congress adjourned there had been a
proposal that no consideration be
given to Gravelly Point as an airport,
but this had failed of enactment.
Refers to Map.
Referring to the filling now going
on, however. the chairman added. sig
niflcantly, After they have built up
Gravelly Point they might develop it
into a splendid airport"
Ball, referring to a Government
map on display before the commits
sion, discovered a line on the map out
into the Potomac River disclosing the
very site Of the fill.
THAT rip-rap," declared Ball, shows
that the Government intends to put
an airport there"
He charged that if the Government
contention at the present time for a
high water mark boundary succeeded
it would take about rs acres of former
marsh land away from Washington
Hoover Airport and then this airport
will be gone
He declared that it appeared to be
the Governments intention ito aban-
don one airport and build another"
What agency is doing the filling on
Gravelly Point was not disclosed by
the chairman of the boundary COM
mission. His reference to congress
slonal objection to Gravelly Point ap-
parently was directed to a report of a
House District subcommittee on the
airport which had been headed by
Representative Jennings Randolph of
West Virginia.
This committee at the last session
not only killed a bill by Represent
alive Howard W. Smith, Democrat, of
Virginia to select Gravelly Point for
the municipal airport, but wrote
report to a substitute bill recon-
mending that Gravelly Point be en-
tirely abandoned as an airport site.
Their substitute measure providing
one commission to select a site for
an airport and a second commission
of three men to build and operate a
municipal airport was left in con-
ference with a Senate bill for a Dis
trict airport commission.
Ball Denies Criticism.
In answer to what he said was crit
icism of the Virginia plan for low
water-mark boundary because it might
block the Federal Governments plan
for identification of the water front,
Ball denied that it would block any
such plans. AS matter of fact, he
said, the Establishment of Gravelly
Point Airport would interfere with
the beautiful view of the Mount YER
non Memorial Highway over the Po-