Evening star., 1940-03-23
Measure 10 Fix
D. C.-virginia
Line Pushed
Park Planners Will
Send Bill to Budget
Bureau and Congress

As soon as formal approval is
given by other Government agencies
to a bill drawn up by the National
Capital Park and Planning Com
mission to settle permanently the
District of Columbia Virginia bound
ary dispute, it will be forwarded to
the Budget Bureau and laid before
Congress.
The commission yesterday ap-
proved the bill. which had been
drafted by its secretary and legal
representative. Thomas S. Settle,
and other members of the commits
sion staff.
Mr.. Settle indicated after the
planning commissions two-day
March meeting that the Govern
ment agencies involved, the Board
of District Commissioners, the Ma
tional Park Service, the United
States Army Engineers and the
Civil Aeronautics Authority, already
have given informal approval OF
the bill.
The measure proposes to place the
Virginia District boundary at the
high-water mark of the Potomac
River on the Virginia shore as it
exists when the bill is passed. The
United States, which, at present,
owns practically all of the shore line
involved, would retain title to the
land, which thus would be thrown
under the jurisdiction of Virginia.
Would End Disputes.
The measure would put an end
to existing "no-man's lands" on the
Virginia shore where there have
e been disputes in Jurisdiction in
criminal cases.
The Suprer Court has ruled
that the boundary is the high
water mark as it existed in 1891
Filling and dredging as we'll as nat
ural changes in the river channels
have altered the high-water mark
to a point where the boundary line
today is hard to determine.
Mr. Settle said that Virginia au-
thorities have looked with favor on
the bills provisions and that he
saw no reason why the new boundary
line should not be satisfactory to
all concerned.
The planners, after making sew
eral important decisions yesterday
besides approving the boundary bill,
spent the afternoon touring the
route for the first unit of Fort drive,
from Conduit road to Fort Totten
Park. Chairman Frederic A. Delano
and other commission members, as
well as members of the staff and
representatives from other agencies.
inspected the drive with particular
reference to the manner in which
the thoroughfare will solve cross
city traffic congestion.
Underpass Inspected.
After he trip John Nolen, jr.,
the commissions director of plan
ming, said commission members did
not see why the public did not take
more interest in the Fort drive
The commission feels it is of vital
importance to the city and will
protect property values IN the North
west section now threatened by in
creasingly undesirable cross-town
traffic, which filters along streets
which should be purely for local
residential traffic.
Only once did those making the
tour leave their cars. That was at
Fort Reno Park.
Swinging back to the city, the
commission officially inspected the
new Thomas Circle underpass and
signified approval of the way in
which it is working. They spent
several minutes approaching the cir
Gle from all angles
Although they had planned to,
they did not visit Scott Circle, where
commission plans call for an under
pass on the axis of Sixteenth street
The Scott Circle underpass is next
on the District Buildings list.