Evening star., 1944-03-07
Plan for Expansion
OF darlington Cemetery
AssaiIed by Campbell
County Boord Member
Insists Bill Is Not
War Measure

Edmund D.. Campbell, Arlington
County Board member, attacked the
proposed expansion Of Arlington Ma
tional Cemetery at House Mill
tary Affairs Committee hearing to-
day as rejecting only "the desire
OF the National Park and Planning
Commission to place Congress and
Arlington residents in strait
jacket as far as any future develop
ment OF q large portion Of Arlington
County is concerned"
The bill appeared to be under
false pretenses rs q war measure, y
he said.
Declaring the real purpose Of the
bill was mot to provide additional
burial ground for men In the armed
services" Mr.. Campbell said that
Fort Myer. the Navy Annex and
permanent homes and apartments
stand In the area which would be
acquired in the bill.
mot even the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission will
seriously contend that Fort Myer
will be turned into cemetery" Mr.
Campbell said.
He said he believed the naval
annex, which houses approximately
5000 employees, will probably remain
there and be used for Office b,xld-
ing purposes "as long as any Of us
in this room are alive"
In connection with the condemna-
ton of private property, Mr.. Camp
bell said it would be far better fol
the Government frankly to provide
for the immediate purchase for con-
demnation of these lands If they
are so badly needed.
Mr.. Campbell condemned the
course proposed by the bill permit
ting residents to remain until actual
need arises, as blight laid on a
thriving area"
Stating that Arlington Cemetery
was adequate in its present boun-
daries for some years to come, Mr..
Campbell said the bill appeared to
him to be under false pretenses as
a war measure"
Letter From Gen. Gregory Read.
The War Departments position
was presented by Brig. Gen. John
j. Kingman, who read letter from
Maj. Gen. E. B. Gregory of the
Quartermaster Corps asking that
the tremendous investment which
the Government already has in the
cemetery be protected" by acquisi-
ton of adjacent lands.
Gen. Gregory's letter stated that
II the property concerned was not
purchased IAN undesirable COM
mercial development" might be
built.
This prospect was denied by Frank
L. Dieter, Arlington County plan
ming commissioner, who said that ii
the cloud" of possible Federal an
nexation were removed a high type
of development would ensue under
the county's strict planning and
zoning controls.
Mr.. Dieter agreed with Mr.. Camp
bell that the intention of the Ma
tional Park and Planning Commits
sion in acquiring the land was for
"other purposes" than burial of war
dead
Mausoleum Complication.
He said that land abutting Fort
Myer would actually become an en-
largement of that reservation and
that the Navy Annex would become
an isolated tract not properly a
part of the cemetery expansion"
Mr.. Dieter disclosed that the
Abbey Mausoleum, which contains a
large number Of crypts, would fall
under Federal ownership with pas
sage of the bill This would mean
removal of all bodies not eligible
for burial in Arlington, he said.
Answering a statement by Gen
Gregory that "the dignity of Lees
Mansion" should be protected, Mr.
Dieter said the nearest property to
be acquired lay one-half mile from
the shrine
The hearing was recessed until
1890 am. tomorrow and Mr.. Dieter
asked the committee to defer ap-
proval of the bill until a report was
returned to Congress on national
cemetery needs throughout the
| country.