Evening star., 1940-09-21

Washington, for two decades the
worlds most backward capital IN
It's provisions for air transportation,
will have the finest airport there
Is when Washington National Air
port Is opened for service on De-
cember IT, the 37th anniversary OF
the first airplane flight it was an
nounced today by Col. Sumpter
Smith, chairman of the interde-
partmental commission in charge
of the s13.50O00O project.
In a press "preview' visit to the
airport yesterday afternoon, in ad-
vance of the laying by President
Roosevelt of the corner stone Of
the new terminal building at 3 pm.
Wednesday, Col. Smith cited figures
to show that the local air terminal
will outrank those serving the capi-
tails of all the worlds greatest ma
tions and will be larger than even
the s28 900 900 La Guardia Field at
New York.
Senator Glass of Virginia will be
one of the passengers who will
make the first landings at the new
airport Wednesday in connection
with the corner stone ceremonies,
1t was announced today. Seven
transport aircraft, representing the
air transport lines operating out of
Washington. the Army, Navy, Coast
Guard and Civil Aeronautics Board,
will land there on radio commands
from President Roosevelt.
Gives Breakdown on Costs.
Making public the first itemized
breakdown of expenditures for the
great Gravelly Point project, Col.
Smith said that the Public Works
Administration has provided So
TAT 500. the Civil Aeronautics Board
s175,o00, the Works Projects Admin
istration between s1.500000 and
S2.0O0.000 Congress has been asked
for s2,500,000 more for additional
hangers this year, and concession
aires already have allocated $500 900
for equipment. The total, depend
ing upon the precise amount of the
w. P. A. contribution. which cannot
be determined until its work is fin
ished, ranges between Sl3,422 500
and s13.922.500. Seventeen Federal
agencies are participating in the
project.
There now are 3700 w. P. A.
workers employed at Gravelly Point,
and more could be used if they
were available. A maximum of
4,5o0 w. P. A. employees was at
work at one time.
Definite commitments already
made by the air transport lines
and concessionnaires indicate that
an income of 100000 to s450,000 a
wear will be realized by the Federal
Government from operation of the
airport as soon as 1t is opened.
This total is expected to increase
as additional hangers are completed
and occupied by the airlineS and
other operators for repair and main
tenance purposes.
Compares AirpOrts.
Recently completed studies show
that the new air terminal will out
rank in length of runWays, total
size of landing area, equipment and
facilities the worlds foremost air
terminals, among them Croydon, at
London; LIE Bourget, at Paris, and
Tempelhof. at Berlin, all targets
for enemy bombers today. The
whole of La Guardia Airport, in
cluding buildings, hangers, auto
mobile parking areas and landscap-
ing, could be set down on the land
ing area of Gravelly Point, Col
Smith said. The total Washington
National Airport area exceeds that
of La Guardia by more than 200
acres, his figures show.
In the construction of Washing
ton National Airport about 23,OOO,-
600 cubic yards of earth have beer
moved, one-fourteenth Of the total
handled in digging the Panama
Canal, Col. Smith said.
The runWays today are 30 pei
cent completed, and the total paw.
ing, amounting to 277000 square
yards, Is the equivalinet of four