Evening star., 1937-09-04
j. s. ORDERS CURB
ON A|RPORT'S USE
Negotiations Begun With
Army for Boiling Field
in Bad Weather.


Regulations restricting sharply the
use OF Washington-H Hoover Airport by
the big Douglas transport planes were
sent out by the Commerce Depart
ment today. while negotiations with
the Army were under way for per-
mission to transfer mail and passen-
ger service to Boiling Field In un-
favorable weather.
These were temporary measures de-
cided on by Secretary Roper and
Fred D. Fagg, jr, director Of the
Bureau Of Air Commerce, after a
conference Tuesday with pilots and
representatives Of other aviation in
terests. 1t is hoped the emergency
safety measures will dissUade the
Airline Pilots Association from their
threatened abandonment of the
Washington Airport.
Meanwhile. S. J. Solomon, vice
president Of the National Airport
Corp, which operates the Washing
ton-Hoover Airport. issued state
ment today regretting that President
Roosevelt had vetoed the Copeland
May bill for enlargement of the field
and defending its record for safety
and reliability.
Rejected by Committees.
The President, in his veto message.
said he favored the Gravelly Point
site for Government airport, and
Solomon pointed out that this site
had been rejected within the last
two years by both the House District
and House Military Affairs Commit
tees.
The transport pilots indicated at
the conference this week that they
were willing to make any reasonable
compromise, II assured safety in land
ing and take-ofis in Washington, but
would insist on a new and adequate
Capital airport. Previously they had
declared they would use the Wash
ington Airport only under rigid re-
strictions and would not land there
at all in Winter
Boiling Field has been allowing
transport planes to land in emer-
gencies, and the Bureau of Air Com
merce anticipates no difficulty in ar
ranging for more extensive use OF the
Army field in Winter.
Effective Tuesday.
The new regulat tions announced late
yesterday by Secretary Roper, effective
Tuesday, limit planes of $4,000 pounds
the big mail and transport ships
to the long northwest-southeast run
way, eliminating for them the short
runway. The long runway may not be
used for either landing or take-on by
the big planes when the cross wind
velocity component relative to such
runway exceeds 10 miles per hour"
These were. in part, the restrictions
proposed by the pilots if they were to
continue to use the field at all.
President Roosevelt's veto message,
declaring the Government could we'll
use two airports at the National Capt.
tai and urging speedy action, is ex-
pected to spur efforts for legislation as
soon as Congress reconvenes.
Solomon's statement follows:
The National Airport Corp. has
operated Washington Airport for a
number Of years, performing a useful
public service at no substantial profit
to itself. The service performed is
one which. as the President pointed
out should be function Of the Gov
ernment, but for 10 years, since the
first congressional committee to study
airport was appointed, no provision
for Government operation has been
| made.
Cites Operations.
Douglas DC airplanes have been
| operated on daily schedules in and out
Of Washington Airport since October.
1884. Douglas DC srplanes have
been operated on daily schedules since
September. 1895. These are the
largest airplanes in service in the
| United States. Since being placed in
operation their performance has been
in excess of 80 per cent of their sched-
| uled activities. During its entire his
tory the record Of transport operations
| at Washington Airport has been a
perfect one, due to three factors First,
splendid airline operation manage
ment; second, superb pilot technique
with perfectly functioning equipment;
third, the airport itself with the safe
guards surrounding its operation due
to the physical limitation of the site.
National Airport Corp. deeply re-
grets the action of the President in
vetoing H. R. 1885 1t has felt that
this bill providing for the elimination
OF Military road, for the use Of some
SO acres of the adjoining experimental
farm and possibly for the filling in
of the lagoon in order to provide
longer cross-field runways. would
greatly add to the safety factor of
Washington Airport 1t has felt,
whether or not its site were chosen
by the Government as . permanent
location for Washington's airport, that
this bill would have greatly improved
the present site even for the two or
three years necessary to construct
another site, and this at no expense to
the Government and no increase
thereby Of income to National Airport
Corp.
Air Traffic Increase.
by constantly improving WASH
ington Airport and enlarging its area
through the purchase Of Hoover Field,
by the expenditure Of over $l00. 900
during the past year for hard surface
runways, by operating traf1c lights
and guards on Military road and with
the installation and operation Of one
Of the first radio-control towers in
the United States, air trafic In and
out OF Washington has increased to
phenomenal extent.
1T Is the belief Of National Airport
Corp. that those Government aRen-
cies which are responsible for the
carrying Of the United States mail
and those airlines which carry the
United States mail, passengers and
express should be consulted with ref
erence to the location of q new air.
port. It Is perhaps unnecessary to