Evening star., 1936-02-15
BY JOSEPH s. EDGERTON

off for at least 10 days as result of
negotiations completed last night by
Chairman McSwain of the House Mill
tary Affairs Committee.
Up to early last night, it had ap-
peared certain the airport would be
closed this Afternoon as a result OF the
controversy over closing of Military
road through the airport. The four
air transport lines using the airport
had completed all arrangements to
transfer their operations to Logan
Field, Baltimore, and the Post Office
Department was prepared to move the
eirmail base to the Baltimore field.
When the Senate yesterday post
poned until next week action on a
bill to give the Secretary of War au-
thority to control Military road traffic,
1t appeared certain the airport must
close. Last night however, Chairman
McSwain began a personal fight to
keep the field open. He conferred
with Secretary OF War Dern, Maj.
Gen. Malin Craig, chief OF staff;
Second Assistant Postmaster General
Harllee Branch and Col. John M.
johnson, Assistant Secretary OF Com
merce. He then called Samuel j.
Solomon, manager of Washington
Airport. to his Office to work out final
arrangements for continuing opera
tion of the airport.
Understanding Effected.
At $50 pm. McSwain and Solomon
issued a statement in which 1t was
announced that, as result OF the un-
derstanding between the Representa-
tive and the War, Post Of1ce and
Commerce officials, the airport would
remain OPEN It was agreed, according
to the statement that the highway
and patrol guards at the traffic lights
on Military road will be continued as
q temporary measure, pending the
enactment of legislation, and that the
airport will continue in operation for
transport and mail service
"This arrangement" the statement
continued, sis to meet temporary
emergency and is to continue for 10
days from February Is, which should
be ample time to provide proper safe
guards"
War Department officials, who have
testified that Military road is of no
more use to the War Department, have
sought to be relieved of responsibility
for conditions on the road. 1t is un-
derstood they were reluctant to agree
to even temporary extension of the
present hazardous condition created
by the passage of Military road traffic
across the airport, but that they con-
sented to the Today extension only
because they did not want to be put in
the position of forcing the United
States airmail service to move to Bal
timore.
Saved From Disgrace.
IT am very happy that the Nations
Capital city has been saved from the
disgrace of having no airmail service
and no passenger transport service"
McSwain said.
Il believe the people of the Nation
would censure all of us having any
connection with this matter if we
had failed to prevent such a catas-
trophe. For the most powerful Ma
tion in the world to have no air
service at its Capital city would be
more than a mere reflection.
Being well acquainted with the
Tempelhof in Berlin, lie Bourget in
Paris and Croydon in London, am
jealous for our Nations Capital to
nave quite soon comparable airport,
and certainly to be cut of from air
communication would be q fatal blow
to the proper pride of our people and
q serious inconvenience to the busi-
ness public"
Solomon, who for two years has been
maintaining the lights and guards
on Military road on his own respon-
sibility, had ben unable to get au-
thorization from any Federal agency
to continue the safeguards. He said
the airport corporation now Is facing
q suit based on illegal operation of
the lights.
The Department of Commerce had
given notice that when the Military
road safeguards are removed it will
be forced to bar the airport to air
transport operations. Point was given
to the warning Thursday afternoon
when q transport plane. unable to
get OF the ground before reaching
Military road. skidded across the
highway. knocking down a boundary
light and q section of the Arlington
Farm fence. Only the fact that mo-
tor vehicular traffic had stopped for
the lights prevented q serious col
lsion.
Although the House yesterday
passed the McSwain resolution au-
thorizing the Secretary OF War to take
over control Of Military road trafic,
the Senate Military Affairs Commit
tee, expressing doubt whether it has
jurisdiction In the matter, has asked
q Department OF Justice ruling and
postponed action until next week.
A special meeting Of . subcommit-