Evening star., 1947-07-05
Cleveland Park Hopes
To GET Play Area by
Deal With Chinese

The Cleveland Park area has lost
all hope of getting its long sought
recreation center unless the Chinese
government is willing to negotiate
for a piece of its newly acquired 1S-
acre Embassy tract.
The Chinese recently arranged to
buy all OF Twin Oaks, former estate
Of Alexander Graham Bell at Wood
ley road and Thirty third place NV.
For a number of years the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion, which buys land for Washing
tons playground system, planned
to buy part of the estate
TO serve Cleveland Park residents
living south Of Porter street. But
the sale caught them without funds.
Planners Had No Funds.
When the owners of the estate
last fall found the Chinese, who had
rented the property for an Embassy
previously. were in position to buy
it. they sold all of it because the
planners had no money.
The latter had asked the Com
missioners last fall to approve an
appropriation to buy five acres OF
the land before it was too late, but
were turned down.
It would have been Federal ap-
preparation, but would have come in
the form of a non interest bearing
advance that would have had to be
paid back to the Federal Govern
rnent out of District tax money
hence the need for clearing 1t with
the Commissioners.
AS long as the property was IN
private hands, the planners could
have resorted to condemnation to
get it if the price had not been con-
sidered fair.
Now Chinese Territory.
Now. the land cannot be bought
for any price unless the Chinese
are willing to sell some OF 1t. 1t Is
Chinese territory and hence above
United States laws.
Mai. Gen. U. s. Grant III, chair
man of the park and planning COM
mission, today expressed his disap-
pointment that money was not
Forthcoming to buy the piece OF
property needed for recreation
center and said he hoped to sound
cut the Chinese on their willing
ness to part with some of the prop
erty
Members of the planning commits
sion's technical staff, as well as Of
ficials OF the District Recreation
Department., which administers the
play areas bought by the planners,
and Mrs. Joseph Miller, recreation
representative for the Cleveland
Park Community Committee, today
described the plight of the Cleve-
land Park area when 1T comes to
play areas.
Only One Play Center.
In the entire area bounded by
Porter street, Rock Creek Park, and
Wisconsin avenue, there IS only one
Fairgrounds plot Of less than an
acre at Macomb street and Thirty
fourth street known as the Macomb
Playground and suitable only for
small children. !
The northern end Of this area Is
able to avail itself to some extent of
The Phoebe Hearst Recreation Gen.
ter, five-acre tract next to the
Hearst Junior High School at
Thirty-seventh street and Idaho
avenue NV
There is absolutely no place, Mrs.
Miller said, where active youngsters
wishing to play baseball and other
sports that require room can 60 to
play. Staff planners and recreation
officiAls back up her statement.
There are plans, 1t was learned, to
use the old Eaton School at Thirty
fourth and Lowell streets for indoor
recreation in connection with the
MacComb Playground, but children
must cross two busy streets, Mac
Comb and Thirty-fourth, to 60 be-
tween the playground and the
school
Tract Called Suitable.
The Twin Oaks property, plan
ming staff members and recreation
officials say, is the only remaining
tract suitable for a play center in
the area.
Mrs. Miller has gone before the
Independent Offices Subcommittee
of the Senate Appropriations Com
mittee, Senator Reed, Republican,
of Kansas, chairman, to ask that
money to enable the planners to
make the Chinese an offer be added
to the appropriation measure.
But, it Is understood that Senator
Reed expressed reluctance to add in
the amount unless it Is first cleared
with the District Commissioners.
The Commissioners are not in
position to refuse approval of the
appropriation on the ground the
purchase would exempt more land
from District taxes. The land al
resdv is tax exempt now that ii has