Evening star., 1937-09-03
Again-The Airport.


mltting private development, through
acquisition of Government property, of
the Neutrality-suspicious. Airport leaves
the airport problem just where it has
been all along, in state of utter con-
fusion. There are too many cooks con-
cerned with the airport brew and short
OF locking them all in a room and taking
the advice OF the sole survivor there is
little prospect Of obtaining any agree
ment at any time on what to do about
the airport.
About ten years ago The Star launched
campaign of publicity in which the
need for a. National Capital airport was
discussed. 1t may not have been the
first of many such campaigns, but it was
one of the first, and it attracted much
attention. Congress began action the
same year designed to develop Ma
ODnal Capital airport.
There Is no need to discuss the long
and tiresome history of the airport prof.
Get since that time. But at one time
the Gravelly Point site was generally
approved as appropriate and there was
much agitation to begin the necessary
dredging and filling for its development.
Then the Army came along and spiked
the Gravelly Point guns by contending
that the site was too near Boiling Field
This last session of Congress devoted
almost year to study Of sites and then
recommended Camp Springs, Md, to-
gether with the construction of an ex-
press highway to bring it closer to the
city. The Navy promptly let loose a
broadside against the Camp Springs site,
asserting that it was too near the Nays
Cheltenham radio station.
Meanwhile, Washington Hoover Air
port has been developed under private
management into one of the few paying
arports in the country maintained at no
expense whatever to taxpayers, although
It's hazards as an airport have been con-
demned by most Of the aviation authori-
ties Of the land. What the airport needed
was room to expand and the Copeland
May bill passed in the closing hours
Of the past session, provided such room
through permission to purchase Govern
ment land and lease-in order to close
part OF Military road, which the Presi-
dent inaccurately refers to as an impor-
tant highway. But the Department of
Agriculture, which owns the land, and
the Park and Planning Commission,
which has plans for its future develop
ment, were against this. And the Presi-
dent apparently acted on their repre-
sentations.
So there you are. The President favors
Gravelly Point, which will require years
to develop as an airport although the
site is one of the best near Washington.
But the Army is against Gravelly Point.
The President also favors bad-weather
field at Camp Springs. "The Govern
ment could well afford two fields" he
says. But the Navy is opposed to Camp
Springs, and if two National Capital air.
ports are necessary one for fair weather
and one for foul, may the saints not
only preserve us but furnish the money
as we'll!
What will happen to the Washington
Hoover Airport now is anybody's guess.
1t is considered dangerous, as far as
high-speed transport planes are con-
cerned, and the pilots have threatened
to cut it of their calling list. If it can
not expand, its future development is
apparently doomed. You can come into
the Nations Capital and build a noisome
slaughter house, but the President
does not believe the principal airport OF
Washington should be controlled by "any
private corporation"
That being the case, it is plainly the
Governments move to supply one and
quickly, after wasteful years of delay
and running about in circles.