Evening star., 1946-03-15
Deeper Potomac
Channel Urged
Toad Industry
Virginia Group Says
Three Major Firms
Would Stort Work
By Rudolph .Kuuffmonn II

by Rudolph 'kouffmonn
Development of q large scale
heavy industry area in Prince VIII
liam County, Va, supported by raw
material imports from South Amer
lea that would be shipped up the
Potomac would follow widening and
deepening Of the river channel be-
low Washington, E. D. Gothwaite
chairman Of the Industrial Commit
zee OF the County's Chamber OF
Commerce, said today.
Mr.. Gothwaite's statement was
made at hearing conducted by
Col. Donald G. White, District
engineer for the Potomac water
shed, to determine If residents and
Government and commercial inter-
ests In Washington and the lower
Potomac region would like to see
George Washington's dream Of the
Capital as a major seaport come
true.
Mr.. Gothwaite said three heavy
industry firms, whose names he was
not at liberty to divulge, would like
70 set up shop in the area from
Belmont Bay, down river, to Guam
tlco II the river channel were in
creased to accommodate ocean
going ships.
Calls Plan Logical.
Describing Prince Williams. nlan
as logical proposition" he said
IL would assist the country in pre-
serving its Merchant Marine by pro-
Vldlng another railhead at a deep-
water harbor.
VI Ships bringing South American
raw materials-he said he could NOT
specify what they would be-would
need channel IS feet deep and
Wider than it now is. The channel
now Is "A feet deep and 200 feet
wide. 2,
Asked by Col. White if he could
provide more specific information.
SO that any channel project could
be justified to Congress, Mr.. Goth
waite said he would submit figures in
q rev days" after conferring with
the firms involved.
Prince William County's position
received limited support from Clar-
ence j. Robinson, president of the
Roblnsons Terminal Warehouse Co
In Alexandria. Mr.. Robinson, who is
q member Of the Virginia State port
authority, said, however, the chan
mel might prove too crooked for large
ships,
AT the hearing Col. White and
members OF his staff will seek tai
discover whether there is sufficient
interest in such plan to warrant
making detailed studies and cost
estimates and later setting 1t up as |
a regular rivers and harbors project.
May Equal Baltimore Port.
In general, the engineers will at
tempt to learn from witnesses the
extend of the improvement believed
to be desirable; its probable effect
on commerce and business as WE'LL
as pleasure boating and other Ship
ping activities, and if cash contribu-
tions from local public and private
interest may be expected.
II the channel Is made IS feet deep
it would permit all but the largest
ships to put into Washington. The
oil companies could ship fuel oil and
gasoline direct from Gulf Coast
cracking plants, and lumber from
Southern and Western sawmills.
, Chairman Mansfield Of the Rivers
and Harbors Committee, asked yes
terday If he thought deeper chan
mel would permit reduction of the
cost Of gasoline and other crude oil
products, lumber and other bulk
commodities to Washington resi-
dents, said he thought it would.
3 Cites Transfer Expense.
At present. he said, oil and gaso-
line are transferred to small river
tankers ip either Baltimore or Nor
folk and any sort of transfer creates
additional transportation cost.
: He said interests in Manassas, Va.
had broached the subject of widen
ing and deepening the channel to
his committee originally and he felt
Washingtonians might as well benefit
by the project should it be justified
by testimony and investigation.
He said he had no personal inter-
est in the project and had advocated
its consideration because Washing
ton has no representation in Con-
gress to push rivers and harbors i'm
proyements.
He mentioned that, in addition to
commercial shipping, the Navy
might like to bring ships to WASH
1ngton larger than those it can bring
now.