Evening star., 1937-07-24


in II years OF agitation for an ade-
qudte air terminal here. District
Airport Commission te,p daus
later, after II months OF delibern-
| ton. recommended site at Cdmp
Springs. Nd, for a Federal airport.
Opposition of the Nary is belieued
| to hare doomed this site,
An improvement program which will
make Washington Airport adequate
and safe" for all types of air trans
port operations for years to come will
be undertaken Immediately If Con-
gress enacts a bill introduced late
| yesterday to close Military road and
transfer to the airport part Of the
Arlington Experimental Farm and
the Boundary Channel lagoon, it was
promised today by airport officials.
1t has been reported the airport is
willing to pay up to $500 900 for new
runways and other improvements re-
garded as necessary to make the local
field adequate for the operation Of
new nl8n-speed alrNnerS.
| If this bill is passed" Samuel J.
Solomon. manager Of the airport. said,
I'VE will undertake construction
program which will give Washington
an airport capable Of taking care OF
all local needs for years to come
The bill. introduced in the House
! by Representative Andrew j. Nav OF
Kentucky. member of the House Mill
tary Affairs Committee. would trans
fer to the National Airport Corp. the
Military road right OF way. totaling
nearly 4 acres and would permit it to
lease for 81 year SO acres OF the
Arlington farms and to lease for the
same amount the entire lagoon area,
with the right to fill the water area,
Substitute Road Specified.
The airport corporation would be
required to pay not to exceed S25.-
900 to the Arlington County Board for
construction Of substitute road
around the airport and might be re-
quired by the War Department to
widen and deepen Boundary Chan
mel and construct a seawall along the
l,5o0-foot lagoon front which 1t would
fill.
| The May bill was introduced 4 few
hours after the Aeronautics Subcom-
mittee Of the House Naval Affairs
Committee had voted unanimously to
oppose construction OF local air
port at Camp Springs, Md. The sub
committee voted to recommend that
the full committee should take all
possible steps to block the Camp
Springs project on the ground that
1t would destroy the usefulness of a
Sl,0OO,OO0 Navy radio project now
under way at Cheltenham, Md, three
miles from the airport site.
Defeat OF the Camp Springs project
was predicted at the Capitol today as
a result Of the subcommittee action,
This would leave Washington with no
hope OF an improvement Of the local
airport situation except the possible
Improvement OF Washington Airport.
it was explained.
The May bill, referred to the Mill
tary Affairs Committee. authorizes
and directs the Secretary of War to
convey qutclaim deed to the Ma
t1onal Airport Corp for the portion
OF Military road between United States
highway No. l. at the Virginia ap-
proach to Highway Bridge, and the
boundary OF the Arlington Experi-
mental Farm. The right of way is
10 feet wide and the tract include.
o'1lo acres. The remainder OF the
road between the farm boundary and
the underpass at the Pennsylvania
Railroad siding, would be leased to
the airport for 81 year for a period
not to exceed so years and "only for
such period as the adjoining land
shall be used for an airport"
The conveyance and lease would not
become effective until the airport
corporation had paid mot to exceed
s25,000' to the Board of Commits
sioners OF Arlington County for con-
structioon Of substitute road.
Lease Not Over 50 Years.
The Secretary of Agriculture is
authorized and directed to lease to
the airport, under such terms and
conditions as he may prescribe" the
portion Of Arlington farms east of
the Pennsylvania Railroad siding The
lease would be for not to exceed so
years, at 81 year. and only while
the airport remained in operation a,
an airport.
The Boundary Channel lagoon Iease
was under the same conditiors r..
81 years at 81 year while used for
airport purposes. The Secretary of
war is authorized to lease to the air.
port the portion Of the bed of the
Potomac River adjoining the airport
extending about 1900 feet upstream
from the Boundary Channel Bridge
lhe lease would stipulate that the
airport, IF deemed necessary by the
secretary OF War" would be required
TO widen and deepen Boundary Chan
mel proper and construct a retaining
wall along the entire frontage, with
out expense to the Government.
The water area which would he
added to the airport under the terms
OF the bill, 1t is said, would be larger
than has been contemplated under
any OF the earlier proposals for en-
largement of Washington Airport, be-
ginning with those of the Bingham
Commission nearly six years ago.
Details OF the runway layout which
would be constructed have not vet
been worked out, Soloman said
The Commerce Department now is
drafting instructions to airlines pro-
hibiting operation of large. high
speed airliners at Washington Air
port under wind and weather condi-
tions which are considered dangerous
with the present layout. The War