Evening star., 1951-08-07
McKe|din BaIks
AtCa||ing D. {.
World Capital
Sends Trumun Second
Protest on Priority
Given Burke Airport

Federal authorities here stand
accused today by Gov. McKeldin
of Maryland of having exagger-
ated the need for a huge new air.
port at Burke, Fairfax County, Va.
In barbed terms, the Republi-
can executive has filed his second
protest with President Truman
against preference given the
Burke site over Baltimore's
Friendship International Airport.
In a letter dated August ! and
made public yesterday by Gov.
McKeldin, President Truman de-.
clared that he is ready to "pro-
ceed to the best of my ability" to
develop the proposed airport at
Burke.
Text of Truman Letter.
The text of the Presidents let
ter to the Governor, follows:
Il read your letter of the 26th
with a great deal of interest but
! don't believe you see the whole
picture. 1t is necessary that
Washington have an auxiliary air.
port in addition to Friendship Air
port. The time will be with US
very shortly when need of those
proposed auxiliary airports to the
Capital City and Baltimore will be
necessary to handle the air traffic.
Il shall proceed to the best of
ability to get the Burke site de-
veloped as another airport in this
vicinity. You can't have too
many of them in centers of popu-
lation. The Capital of the world
must be adequately served with
air transport facilities"
Mr.. McKeldin objected to the.
capital of the world" phrase in
his reply yesterday. He wrote
Il am not yet ready to accept
Washington or any other city any,
where" in that capacity. He
added:
Il realize that in the present
disturbed condition of the world
much of the international inter-
est centers around Washington,
but have not abandoned the hope
that the world some day will re-
turn to normal and that each ma
ton again will be free ard each
will boast with honest price of it's
own capital and of its own SOW
ereignty."
Residents Also Protest.
This was Gov. McKeldin's sec
ond letter to Mr.. Truman about
the proposed federally financed
airport at Burke, II miles south
west of Washington-many of
whose residents also are protesting
the plans.
The chairman of Baltimore's
airport board termed Gov. Nc
Keldin'S first complaint to the
President "ill-timed." Walter Fl
Perkins feared it would interfereI
with negotiations for a Military
Air Transport Service base at
Friendship.
The Governor said then he fa-I
vored temporary use of Friend
ship by the Air Force in the in
terest of national defense. He
objected to "the purchase of our
silence" and tacit approval of al
new airport at Burke.
D'Alesandro Statement Recalled.
He wrote the President yester-
day:
"I note with interest your ex-
preston of doubt that I see the
whole picture, and I am led to
wonder if Federal officials have
not excluded the interests and
welfare of communities from the
picture in the perspective which
they are presenting.
Il wonder. too, if they are not
letting their enthusiasm exag-I
gerate the need for an additional
new airport in the Washington
area at this time"
The Governor recalled b state
ment lasbyear by Mayor D'Alesan-
dro of Baltimore to a House COM
mittee studying the need for a
new airport.
Mayor D'Alesandro had con-
tended the ultramodern field atI
Friendship could handle all Bal
timore traffic and overflow from
Washington for many years ahead.
He also said diverting the Cap
ital's overflow elsewhere would
deal financial blow to Balti-
more