Evening star., 1935-03-09
ABANDONING TWO
AIRPORT SITES IS
RUMORED LIKELY
House Subcommittee Will
Have Report Ready by
Wednesday.
CHILLUM AND BENNING
ARE FAVORED BY SOME
Many Other Localities in District,
Virginia and Maryland Also
Have Been Offered.

Rumors that both Gravelly Point
and Washington Airport may be aban-
doned by the House subcommittee now
working on the local airport situation
were circulated in aviation circles to-
day. Members of the subcommittee,
headed by Representative Randolph
of West Virginia, refused to confirm
or deny the rumors, but said they
would have a report ready for the full
District Committee by Wednesday.
1t is understood that members of
the subcommittee have conferred with
holders of property in other sections.
among them the formerly proposed
but rejected sites at Chillum and the
former Benning race track. Some of
the members of the subcommittee, it
is said, are inclined to favor one or
other of these sites.
Work Is Not Finished.
II can't say anything about the
nature of our report" said Chairman
Randolph today. We haven't fin
ished our work yet. We will meet
again Monday morning and may have
to meet Tuesday to complete our work.
We are aiming toward submitting our
report to the full District Committee
at its meeting Wednesday. There is
nothing more to be said about the
matter now"
For weeks the subcommittee has
listened to testimony from scores of
local witnesses, most of it in support
of either Gravelly Point or Wahing-
ton Airport. Many other sites in the
District, Maryland and Virginia have
been offered to the committee
Serious objections have been made
to both Washington Airport and
Gravelly Point and it is understood
that some members of the committee,
despairing of ever reaching an agree
ment on either location, are ready to
turn to the Benning OF Chillum sites
as an alternative.
Site Previously Considered.
The Benning site previously had
been considered and abandoned by
other congressional committees, which
have considered the local airport
problem in recent years because of
testimony indicating that it is too
small. lies in an area subject to fogs,
and is surrounded bg serious hazards,
notably the seven towering brick
chimneys of the electric power plant
near Benning Bridge.
The Chillum site, northeast of
Catholic University, also has been pro-
posed a number of times and has been
inspected by several congressional
committees, but was dropped from
consideration because of expense of
grading. lack of suitable avenues OF
approach to the city, distance from
the hotels and downtown section and
for other reasons.
Board Stand Reiterated.
Reiterating the long-standing posi-
tion of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission in favor
of Gravelly Point as the preferred site,
its chairman, Frederic A. Delano, in
a letter to Randolph today wrote:
1T is my earnest hope that your
committee. having taken such COM
plete testimony, will proceed to sd-
just the financial question as seems
equitable, and recommend Gravelly
Point as the central commercial air.
port for the National Capital"
Delano informed Randolph his
commissions conclusion in repeatedly
indorsing Gravelly Point has not
been dogmatic. for consideration and
study has been given to more than
48 different sites in and around the
District of Columbia and consul
tation has been had with the vari-
GUS authorities concerned and with
other experts"
Delano said the question of who
shall finance the airport has caused
delay.