Evening star., 1946-01-23
Tourist Camp Protests
Scheduled al HEARING
OF Planners Tomorrow

~
Representatives of the District
Recreation Board, the Recreation
Division of the Council of Social
Agencies and the Federal Recrea-
ton Committee will testify tomor-
row against construction of new
tourist camp in East Potomac Park
at the monthly meeting of the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission.
Milo F. Christensen, District sup
erintendent of recreation, and
Wayne Summer, recreation secre-
tary of the council, is to be heard
at $3.50 pm. tomorrow. Maj. Gen.
U. S. Grant III, commission chair
man, said he would ask Charles H.
Cunningham, chairman of the Fed
eral Recreation Committee, to pre-
sent his committees views.
The Recreation Board went on
record last Friday as opposing plans
to enlarge the tourist camp and
recommended the site be used in
stead as a recreation center for
Government employees as proposed
before the war.
Council Spokesman to Protest.
The recreation division of the
council has empowered Mr.. Summer
to testify that the site should be
reserved for Washington residents
and not tourists, the latter said
today
The Federal committee has not
registered out-and-out opposition to
the plan, but has asked instead for
a hearing. Mr.. Cunningham said
yesterday he personally was op-
posed to the tourist camp plan, but
that the committee had never voted
on the subject. 1t is customary, he
said, for committee members to re-
port back to their superiors in the
various departments, allowing the
latter to take action.
Mr.. Cunningham said that in the
case of the War Department, which
he represents on the committee
there is strong feeling that East
Potomac Park, on the direct route
to the Pentagon Building. shouie
pe preserved for the after-worl
recreational use Of office workers
Camp Tentatively Approved.
The planning commission ha,
given tentative approval to a plar
Of Government Services, Inc, te
build an entirely new camp in East
Potomac Park. The 1947 budget
asked that 100000 be appropria-
ton to start construction.
Plans have been drawn for the
new camp by Horace w. Peaslee
Washington architect, at the ex-
pense of Government Services, Inc.
his fee later to be charged of
against operating expenses.
This plan has materialized only
recently, however. In 1941 the
planners and officials of the Ma
tional Park Service and Office OF
National Capital Parks approved
construction of new camp on the
land now occupied by the Penta-
gon Building and Arlington Farms
and conversion Of the East Potomac
site into recreation center.
When the Pentagon and wal
housing developments -empteo
the land in question, however, it was
decided to fall back on the present
tourist camp site, despite the fact il
had always been regarded as 9
future recreation center.
Board Not Informed.
When this change in origina.
plans was reported by The Star last
fall, Recreation Board members sale
they had not been informed anc
took issue with Gen. Grant and A
E.. Demaray, associate director o1
the National Park Service, both oi
whom are trustees of Government
Services, Inc.
At a special meeting Friday, thu
recreation board decided to recon-.
mend that the new tourist camp bt
built on Daingerfield Island, a 40.
acre tract between Mount Vernon
Memorial highway and the Potomac
River south of the National Airport
This site is handy to major road!
and would be equally suitable, tht
board feels, since tourists either us,
their own cars or chartered buse.
for transportation.
If testimony before the planning
commission tomorrow proves un
availing, board members plan tt
mobilize opposition to appropriation
asked in the 1947 budget.