Evening star., 1938-02-11
SU|TLAND BACKED
AS AIRPORT SITE
Wood Introduces Measure
Calling for Purchase of
500 Acres.

Seeking to break the lO-year-old
deadlock over local airport sites,
Representative Wood. Democrat. of
Missouri late yesterday introduced in
the House bill authorizing purchase
of 500-acre airport site near Suit
land. Md.
The bill authorizes appropriation
Of S3,000.0Q0 for purchase of the site
and construction of the airport.
While the Suitland site previously
had been considered by congressional
committees-iit was inspected several
years ago by members of the House
District Committee, of which Mr.
Wood is a member-this is the first
time a bill has been drafted specifi-
cally authorizing purchase of the site.
The Wood bill is the fourth dealing
with the local airport situation now
pending In the House 1t was re-
ferred to the House Committee on
Public Buildings and Grounds. which
now has before it the Smith bill pro-
viding for construction of an air.
port at Gravelly Point. The other
bills call for location of the airport
at Camp Springs, Md. and for ex-
tension and improvement of the pres
ent Washington Airport.
Committee Plans Visit.
The Buildings and Grounds Com
mittee held two weeks of hearings on
the Smith bill and is expected to be-
gin an inspection of sites early next
week. The Suitland site, it is under
stood. will be one of those visited by
committee members. They first will
inspect a large number of proposed
sites from the air, probably using the
Goodyear airship based at Washing
ton Airport, and then will make more
detailed examination of the most
promising sites on the ground.
AS much as 1000 acres of high
tableland is available at the Suitland
site, and it will be possible to con-
struct a north-south runway up to
$4,000 feet In length if necessary. it
was said at Mr.. Woods Office.
The site borders the grounds of
Cedar Hill Cemetery, which forms
the western boundary. and is AZ
miles east Of the Capitol, it was ex-
planned. This is just half the dis
tance to the Camp Springs site, IL
miles southeast of the downtown Sec
ton, it was pointed out. and is only
about double the distance to the
Gravelly Point site.
Calls for Auxiliary.
Mr.. Woods bill is patterned after
the Smith bill. which provides for
use of an auxiliary airport pending
establishment of q permanent airport
at Gravelly Point. The Wood bill like
wise calls for an auxiliary airport
for the same purpose, leaving selec-
ton of the site for the second field
to the President
The Wood bill does not stipulate
whether the 100000 fund is to
come from Federal or District reve-
nues but does specify that construc-
ton and operation of both the Suit
land and auxiliary fields shall be
placed in the hands of an Airport
Commission composed of the Assist
ant Secretary of Commerce, the di-
rector of National Capital Parks and
the Army engineer oficer for the local
district.
Closer to City.
It is believed that much of the
support for the Camp Springs site
can be rallied to the Suitland area,
which, although more rolling in char
acter and more difficult of prepara-
ton, is closer to the city and still is
on high ground. Chief opposition to
the Camp Springs site is based on
the fact that it Is too far from Wash
ington and too near the $1,000, 900
Navy radio communications base at
Cheltenham, Md.
The Gravelly Point site, although
approved by President Roosevelt and
long supported by local aviation, trade
and civic organizations, has met with
opposition on the ground that it is
too close. to Boiling Field and the
Anacostia Naval Air Station and is
not capable of expansion in the east
west direction. It also is held that
construction of = highway testing
laboratory on part of the site by the
Bureau of Public Roads, Agriculture
Department, jeopardises the plan and
would constitute serious hazard to
aircraft operating in the vicinity.