Evening star., 1936-01-29
SMITH DEMANDS.
DElAN0 SUPPORT.
BOUNDARY CHARGE
House Member Calls on
Critic to Prove He Is
Influenced.
DENIES HE OWNS LAND
IN DISPUTED SECTION
DR.. Palmer Opposes Ratification
of Report, Defending Bird
Sanctuary.

man of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, for charg-
ing before the House Judiciary Com
mittee that Smith represents constitu-
ents who are financially interested in
the outcome of the District Of Co.
lumbia- Virginia boundary dispute.
Addressing the committee today "as
q matter of personal privilege" Smith
challenged any one in the hearing
room to come out in the open" and
state that he is financially interested
in property at stake or is influenced
by constituents who have heavy finan-
cial interests in territory on the Vir-
cinia shore under controversy.
Delano last week told the commit
tee during its hearings on the bound
ary report that Smith is in the "em-
barrassing position" of representing
influential constituents who are trying
to get as much as possible out of the
Federal Treasury"
Tired of Insinuation."
Smith called on Delano. who was not
present, to name the constituents ard
the pieces of property in which they
are alleged to be interested.
II have been in public Office for
more than 30 years." Smith declared.
pounding the witness table. I'm get
ting tired of these insinuations ana I
want to settle them right now.
If any one in this hearing room
thinks I'm interested in any of the
property involved in this controversy,
let him say so right here in the open. !"
Declares He Sold Property.
Smith referred to an article in a
morning newspaper stating that he
had owned some property in the area
involved in the boundary hearing and
told the committee that while it was
true he had bought some property
he had sold it before he became a
candidate for Congress.
ANY allegation by any one." Smith
shouted, that since my election or
now I am directly interested finan-
cially in any of this property is de-
Iberate misstatement of fact"
Ratification of the Boundary Com
mission report would result in destruc-
tion of the Governments bird sanctu-
ary along Mount Vernon Memorial
Boulevard at Reaches Run, DR.. T. S.
Palmer, president of the Audubon So
ciety of the District, told the committee
earlier at today's hearing.
DR.. Palmer said the commissions
proposed boundary line $50 feet west
of the boulevard, in the Reaches Run
area, would cut the duck refuge in half
and place it under conflicting juris-
dictions.
Opposes Any Curtailment.
He vigorously opposed any such i'm
pairment of the Governments program
for establishing the Districts only
refuge for migratory birds under the
British United States migratory bird
treaty.
officials of the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission pre-
viously had told the committee thou
sands of dollars expended by the Gov
ernment in the Reaches Run develop
ment would be wasted if Congress ap-
proves the boundary recommendations
OF the now defunct commission.
The commission recommended a low
water-mark boundary on the Virginia
shore Of the Potomac River, except at
Reaches Run, where the line would be
moved inland $50 feet west of the
Mount Vernon Boulevard, and at Four
Mile Run, where headland line would
be drawn.
The Justice Department and the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission are contending for high
water mark boundary, and they cite
two Supreme Court decisions in sup
port of this contention.
Agreement Blocked.
For while yesterday afternoon it
seemed an agreement was about to be
reached between the Federal Govern
ment and Virginia for an adjudica-
ton of the boundary controversy by
the Supreme Court, but the possibil-
1ty waned as the hearing progressed.
Frank L. Ball, special attorney for
Arlington County. had told the COM
mittee he would be willing to let the
Supreme Court settle the boundary
problem "once and for ALL" providing
the United States were willing.
u. A. 1verSon of the Justice De.
partment said, in response to a uues-
ton from the committee, that while
he had no authority to speak for the
Attorney General. he thought the plan
was practicable.
Argue Against Delay.
Attorney General A. p. Staples of
Virginia and Commonwealth Attor-
ney Lawrence Douglas of Arlington
County demurred, however. They
pointed to the expense and time that
the boundary commissions report rep
resented, and urged it would be fool
1sh to scrap all this work and bring
about further delay by bringing an
action before the Supreme Court.
Staples said it might be years before
the court decided the question.
Edwin H. Brownley, representing
the American Oil Co., which has
plant in disputed territory near the
Washington. Airport, and John Bar
ton Phillips, representing the Ford
Motor Co., which has a plant in af-
fected territory at Alexandria, and
Samuel Solomon, manager of the
Washington Airport, Joined in urging
the committee to adopt the low-water
mark boundary recommended by the
commission.
Thomas s. Settle, secretary of the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission. said the Government
would be willing to adjudicate individ-
ual jurisdiction disputes by equity
suits In the courts, and thereafter
would be ready to get together" with
vir1inians on Z bodhdazy line COM