Evening star., 1937-06-28
Army Engineers Expecting
to Get Funds Soon
for Start.
RECREATiONAL OUTLET
ENv.IsAGED BY REM0N
Cup Regatta Official Believes Boat.
ing Will Lure Many to -.
D. c. Water Front.

get funds with which to start work
Immediately on improvement OF the
Washington Channel water front. old
time river men find it difficult to
believe that change is due at last.
Civic leaders, however, are delighted
that victory appears at hand.
John A. Remon, chairman of the
Rivers and Harbors Committee of the
Washington Board of Trade, char
acterizes the anticipated improvement
as lone OF the greatest Identification
projects for Washington ever under
taken" Construction of the yacht
basins will afford the man Of moderate
means a recreational outlet, he says.
for-contrary to popular opinion-one
does not need to be a multimillionaire
to enjoy sailing boat or a small
motor boat.
Popular use Of the water front has
increased tremendously in the last few
years, Remon says. AS one Of the
leaders In the Presidents Cup Regatta,
he is in position to speak. for he
recalls that five years ago there was
practically no sailboating here. Now,
however, that recreation has grown
by leaps and bounds.
Boats as Cheap as SIS
The bulk Of the people using the
boating facilities of the water front,
Remon declares, are women and men
OF moderate means. The New York
boat show exhibited small sailboats
for as little as $75 and sl00. he ex-
plains He is warmly enthusiastic
concerning the use OF boats for recrea-
ton, dating from the days when, as a
boy he sailed in the historic harbor
Of Salem, Mass.
While millions of dollars have been
spent in recreational facilities on land,
through the National Capital Parks
and the Playground. and the Com
munity Center Departments and fine
layouts have been provided, Remon
declares nothing has been done for
the 800 acres of watsr lying at WASH
ingtons front door
Expenditure of $l,600,0O0 for Inn
proving the Washington Channel
water front will be the cheapest in
vestment you could have" says the
Rivers and Harbors Committee chair
man.
With this sum, he says, a vista
will be produced, with fine Colonial
type buildings and improved CON-
mercial piers, and up-to-date facih-
ties for yachtsmen, in keeping with
the beauty Of East Potomac Park
across the channel. to achieve which
millions Of dollars have been expended
The Washington Channel baautifca.
ton, Remon pointed out, is linked ur
with the deepening Of the navigationa
channel, which is now underway, anc
with the studies going forward or
water pollution
Robert j. Cottrell. executive secre.
tary of the Washington Board o.
Trade, likewise is glad that the long.
sought program is about to bt
achieved
Il think it is highly desirable" HI
said. I'VE have been fighting for il
for number Of years now. Tha1
water front is a disgrace and is quite
contrary to the rest of the beauties
of the National Capital. This will
work with the proposal Of the Nationa
Resources Committee to establish The
Potomac Valley as an experimental
pollution and flood control area. The
whole thing fits in very we'll.
Trade Board Led Fight.
"The Washington Board of Trade
led the civic fight for the past decade
and more We are glad that The
campaign Is about to be crowned with
success"
The Federal Government owns al
the property along the channel. Op'
Grafton OF this is now divided between
the United States engineer Office, th%
Treasury Department and the Dis
trict government. The Treasury De.
partment some years ago took ovel
the area at the head of the channel q!
the site for central heating plant
Some piles were actually driven. bu
the project was later abandoned ane
now the central heating plant Is To-
Gated near the Bureau Of Engraving
and Printing.
The District government operate
the bulk of the water front property
having more than the Army engineer
and the Treasury put together, OH
cials said.