Evening star., 1937-07-16

Senate and House next week and ef
forts made for speedy passage.
A long and serious study Of the
Washington airport situation has con-
vinced Nichols that the Camp Springs
site will be an ideal location for an
airport of the future-an airport that
can be of great service as blind land
ings are perfected. At present, how
ever, he said. the Camp Springs air.
port could be used chiefly in incle-
ment weather and when fog over the
Potomac River makes landings haz-
ardous at the Hoover air
port.
Opposition to the expenditure Of
any District funds at this time for
construction Of any airport was voted
by the Aviation Committee of the
Board of Trade at a special luncheon
meeting yesterday afternoon at the
Harrington Hotel.
The Board of Trade committee
adopted three-part statement Of
policy on the airport situation:
l. That the Board of Trade should
reafflrm its stand in support of GRAY
ely Point as the site for municipal
airport, if District funds are to be
involved, eff, as and when an air.
port is constructor;
2. That in view Of the present finan-
cial situation of the District of Co.
lumbia, no local funds should be
expended for the construction, main
tenance or operation of an airport
at this time. and.
;. That all necessary steps should
be taken at once to make Washing
ton Airport as safe as possible.
The committee instructed Miller
In case congressional hearings on the
proposal are held, to testify that the
group is not opposed to the Camp
Springs site if the Federal Govern
ment wishes to develop model ter
minal there with Federal funds.
Miller. however, expressed the view
that the House never will agree to
the development of an airport at
Camp Springs unless the District
shares the cost. A number OF COM
mittee members voiced vigorous op-
position to expenditure of District
money at Camp Springs, in view of
the threatened increase in District
taxes and the need for other purely
municipal projects. Miller expressed
the view that the District would not
benefit at all from an airport at
Camp Springs"
Convenient Site Supported.
Miller pointed out that the Board
Of Trade has been on record more
than eight years in favor Of the
Gravelly Point site and charged that
the District Airport Commission "ha.
disregarded testimony in the record
| OF congressional hearings in support
Of this site" 1t has been the posi-.
ton Of the board, he said, that any
airport that is more than 10 minutes
away from downtown Washington /.
too far away for commercial pur.
poses"
Miller said that the committee will
demand public hearings on the Camp
Springs bill If it is proposed thai
the District should share in the prof.
ect. He also said he has been in
formed the Fedora ton OF Citizens AS.
sociations will oppose the Camr
Springs proposal If the District is tt
pay any part of the cost.
George Dif1enbach, citing report!
that Washington Airport will continue
in operation regardless Of whethe
Camp Springs Is built, declared tina
a municipal airport there would b.
facing bankruptcy before it started.
John S. Wynne, former manage
of Washington Airport and forme
chief of the airport section Of tn
Bureau Of Air Commerce, agreed tina
Washington Airport would continue
in operation and that competition
would result which would be ruinou
to both
Washington Airport" he said, ii
usable 90 per cent Of the time b.