Evening star., 1938-04-12
No New Legislation Needed
to Carry Out Presidents
recommendations.
KING HIGHLY PLEASED
AT ROOSEVELT LETTER
Gravelly Point, Camp Springs
Measures Are Already Far
Advanced.

dllpOlC plODlcIH.
1t was found that it will be neces-
sary to draft no new legislation to
carry out the Presidents proposal that
airports be built at Gravelly Point and
Camp Springs. Some of the pending
legislation already is far advanced.
An emergency bill authorizing closing
of Military road as means of reducing
existing hazards until more adequate
air terminal can be provided now is
before the President for signature
Gravelly Point airport bills are in
committee at both ends of the Capitol
The Gravelly Point development, first
proposed in 1926, was advocated by
the President to provide downtown"
air terminal.
The Smith bill authorizing construc-
ton Of an airport at Gravelly Point is
pending before the House Committee
on Public Buildings and Grounds
which has held extended hearings on
the measure and made inspection
flights in the Goodyear airship Enter
prise to survey this and other sites
The committee now is awaiting print
ing of the transcript of hearings and
written testimony as basis for its
final consideration of the bill
Gibson Bill Pending.
The Gibson bill, also providing for
the Gravelly Point development, is
pending before the Senate District
Committee
1t may be called up before the COM
mittee at meeting scheduled for 10
am. tomorrow Although the meet
ing was called primarily for consid-
Grafton of District tax matters, it was
thought likely the Gibson measure
would be considered as a result of the
Presidents message. The bill has
been pigeonholed since last year,
pending disposition of the Camp
Springs measure ...-.---- ,
The Senate last year passed a bill
authorizing s3,286.250 airport prof.
ect at the Maryland site, in accord
ance with the recommendations of a
special airport commission, which
chose the site after prolonged study.
The Senate bill has been reported
favorably to the House by the Military
Affairs Committee and now is pend
ing on the House calendar.
Chairman King of the Senate Dis
trict Committee expressed qualification
over President Roosevelt's letter of
yesterday to the chairman of the Sen
ate and House Military Affairs Com
mlttees. Senator King was chairman
OF the special commission which Sc
lected the Camp Springs site for
immediate airport development. He
sponsored the bill and guided it
through the Senate.
Will Push Bill.
Senator Gibson. long an advocate
OF the Gravelly Point site, also ex-
pressed pleasure that the President
has intervened in the long DELAYED
local airport battle.
We are going to push the Grav-
ely Point bill," Mr.. Gibson said.
There is every reason why Gravelly
Point should be developed as an air.
port for Washington. 1t has been
approved unanimously by local aero
nautical and civic organizations over
a long period of years.
1t was anticipated that conferences
will be held at once between advo-
Gates OF the Camp Springs site in Con-
gress and officers of the naval COM
munlcations service in an effort to
overcome Navy objections to the site.
navy opposition, believed to have
blocked House action on the Camp
Springs measure. Is based on the fact
that the site is close to the $1,000 900
navy radio plant at Cheltenham, Nd,
and opponents claim operation of an
airport there would create static which
would Interfere seriously with COM
munications between the Navy De-
partment and naval stations and ships
at sea-
President Roosevelt, in his letter,
admitted that the distance of the
Camp Springs site from downtown
washington is serious objection and
tor this reason expressed the opinion
That both Camp Spring. and Gravelly
Point sites should be developed,
Provides for Highway.
The Camp Springs bill provides as
an integral part of the airport devel-
opment plan, for the construction of
an express highway from the site to
the District. The airport site is II
miles from the downtown section OF
Washington. Oficials of Eastern Air
lines testified that permanent trans
Ter OF airline operations to a field so
lar from the heart of the city would
virtually wipe out air transport service
between Washington and New York.
now the backbone of its Atlantic coas-
tai service. Al result of speeding
up OF highly competitive rail service,
the addition of as much as is minutes
to the total travel time between WASH
mgton and New York would be fatal
TO the airline business, according to
Capt. Edward v. Rickenbacker, op-
erauons manager of the line.
President Roosevelt, in his letter,
took this point into consideration In
advocating the development of the
two sites. He pointed out that while
Camp Springs Is 80 minutes from
downtown Washington by existing
means OF surface transportation,
Gravelly Point is but 10 or IL minutes
removed.
washington Airport, even closer to
the city, can never be made Of per-
manent service for air transportation
because of its low altitude and the
impossibility of providing long enough
runways In all directions, the President
said. He expressed entire willingness,
however, that Military road be closed |
to improve safety conditions at the |