Evening star., 1938-01-19
GRAVEL[Y POINT
BILL HOLDS HOPE
Of AIRPORT PEACE
3,50O,0 900 Federal Project
Plan Hints Expansion
of Present Field.
MEASURE PROVIDES
AUXILIARY TERMINAL
Power to Close Military Road
Indicates Expansion of Facili.
ties Now in Use.

Construction of a model air terminal
for the Capital, wholly at Federal ex-
pense. on the Gravelly Point site, and
Of an auxiliary field on an undesig-
mated site are authorized in bill in
troduced late yesterday by Represent
ative Smith, Democrat, of Virginia.
The measure was believed to reflect
the view Of President Roosevelt, with
whom Representative Smith conferred
at length q week ago.
The bill Is in line with recommends
tions made by the President last
August in his veto message on a
measure to expand Washington Air
port. In that message, he advocated
construction of downtown" terminal
at Gravelly Point and bad-weather
terminal at Camp Springs, Nd, or
some similar outlying site.
The new bill, although 1t does not
designate a site for the proposed
auxiliary field, indicates strongly the
present Washington Airport is in
tended for development, at least for
emergency purposes, since it provides
Tor closing Military road, which now
crosses the present airport.
$3,500,000 Authorized.
Carrying an authorization for ap-
of s3,50O.0OO from the Fed
eral Treasury, the Smith bill provides
for establishment of a commercial air
terminal at Gravelly Point and for
immediate preparation of the auxiliary
airport. which will be used pending
completion of the major terminal.
The President is given power under
the measure to acquire, by purchase
or condemnation, the necessary land
for the auxiliary airport. He also is
authorized specifically to close Military
road lin the interests of safety" and
to construct a substitute road around
Washington Airport. It is provided,
however, that Military road is to be
repaired and reopened on completion
OF Gravelly Point airport, indicating
the permanent auxiliary field will be
at some other location,
The measure sets up National Air
port Commission to administer both
the Gravelly Point and the permanent
auxiliary airport. This commission
would be composed of the Assistant
Secretary of War, the superintendent
OF National Capital Parks and the
local Army engineer for rivers and
harbors.
May Conciliate Factions.
Mr.. Smiths measure is regarded in
local aviation circles as being more
likely than any of scores of similar
bills introduced during the past 10
years to conciliate warning factions
contending for various sites.
The Graveuy Point site was the first
to be recommended to Congress for
development as local airport. It
was advocated by the Aero Club of
washington and the Office of the local
Army engineer for rivers and harbors
in the summer of 1896. Gravellv
Point bills have been introduced during
every session of Congress since that
time. Construction of the present
Washington Airport created q strong
rival for the Gravelly Point site and
controversies over the relative merits
OF the two have blocked all efforts to
get airport legislation through Con-
gress during recent years.
Five years ago, following months
OF hearings and inspections by mem
bers of a joint Congressional Airport
Commission, former Senator Bingham,
Republican, of Connecticut, commits
sion chairman, introduced a bill pro-
viding for construction of a perma-
nent airport at Gravelly Point and
a temporary field on the Washington
Airport site, essentially the proposal
Of the new Smith bill.
Camp Springs Suggested.
Nearly two years ago. Congress Gre
ated a new Airport Commission,
headed by Senator King, Democrat,
Of Utah. Last July this commission,
setting aside both Gravelly Point
and Washington Airport, recommended
establishment of a municipal airport
at Camp Springs, Md. A minority re-
port was filed by Representative
Nichols, Democrat, of Oklahoma,
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cate Of the Washington Airport site.
The Camp Springs site virtually has
been eliminated from consideration
by objection of the Navy Department
that it would destroy an investment
Of more than s1.0O0,oOO in the Naval
Radio Center now being constructed
at Cheltenham, Md.
Mr.. Nichols and Mr. Smith, chief
advocates OF the rival Gravelly Point
and Washington Airport sites, were
summoned to the White House last
Wednesday and the airport situation
was discussed at length. The Smith
bill, result Of that conference, it was
believed, will go long way toward
reconciling both factions and leading
to permanent solution of the long
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