Evening star., 1952-03-07
Donohue Given
Area Backingto
Form Council
Top LocoI Officials
Name Commissioner
To Formulate Policy
By Crosby S. Moves

Donobue entered upon his nev
duties today as temporary chair
man Of a proposed area-wid
council Of top-level government
officials.
The council. proposed at a meet
ing of District and suburban lead
ers held yesterday in the May
flower Hotel, is aimed at tacklinI
some of the problems Of the Wash
ington Metropolitan Area in a CO
operative effort.
AS originator Of the idea, Com
missioner Donohue was handet
the assignment of formulating tn
rules and policies Of the council
He indicated that his first stel
will be to appoint Representative
committee to help him in the job
The idea of the council wa
indorsed by the area leaders as
long-overdue move In the direc
ton Of better coordination. Il
addition to work on q policy ant
planning level, it was suggested
that top-level coordination nigh
also help in such fields as public
transportation, health welfare
public safety and public work
projects. It was indicated tina
the function Of the council woult
be merely advisory.
d. C. Offlcers Surprised.
The formal steps toward settini
up the council came as q surpris'
to District officials. Speaking To-
the Commissioners, Mr.. Donohu'
said it was not his intention Il
ask any one at the meeting TT
commit himself to any program
or any plan" He suggested that
the county and city heads consider
his suggestions and write him theil
views.
Other speakers, however, called
for more concrete steps. The pro.
posal for appointing Commissions
Donohue as temporary chairman
Of the Still-unnamed council came
from Mrs. Kathryn J. Lawlor o1
the Montgomery County Council
Outlining his proposal, Com
missioner Donohue said it was hi!
hope to "Set up a permanent or.
ganization united at the highest
administrative or political level,
to meet at stated intervals to dis.
cuSs mutual problems. He pointed
out that rapid growth Of the city
Of Washington requires that "ou
thinking must go beyond the
limits Of the District of Columbia
even though our Jurisdiction must
remain within the present 6s
square mile area" Because Of the
character Of Washington as the
capital Of the United States, he
said, "in no area of the worlc
should there be q greater COM
munity of interest"
Robinson Cites Cooperation.
Brig. Gen. Bernard L. Robin.
son, District Engineer Commits.
Sioner, listed the fields in which
area cooperation has helped Il
solve mutual problems on a stat
level and pointed out what b,
called certain areas Of conflict.
He cited the work Of the In.
terstate Commission on the Poto'
mac River Basin as an outstand.
ing example Of cooperative effor
in the field Of pollution contro
and spoke optimistically Of thl
ultimate solution Of the area
sewage disposal problem.
Mayor Franklin Backus Of Alex
andria set the tone Of nearby gov
ernment speakers by announcinI
that Alexandria win co-operat'
in any plan which may evolv'
from this meeting" Recent join
efforts between different commu
mites in Virginia, he said hav
shown that we are willing to CO
operate among ourselves in sucl
matters as IRE and police protec
ton, sewage disposal and civ
defense" The meeting called b
the District Commissioners, h
said, was "the sort Of meeting W
should have had some time ago.
TRANSPORTATION Stressed.
Robert w. Cox, chairman Of tn
Arlington County Board. stresses
the need Of cooperation in han
ding transportation problems. TIL
proposed council, he said, shoul
STUDY the metropolitan problem
rs q whole first and then sprea
out into special areas" such q
health. welfare and transportation
g. Wallace Carper. chairman Q
the Fairfax County Board Of Su
pervisors, predicted that a lot q
good will come out Of the propose
council and pledged the co-opera
ton Of his group.
Similar statements were mad
by Mayor Charles e. Kellogg q
Falls Church and Col. Lathro
Smith Of the Montgomery Count
Council. The proposed council
Col. Smith said, was $50 utterl
logical that wonder that the ide
has been delayed so long,"
Tuemmler Offers Suggestion.
AS the only representative at tn
meeting from Prince George
County, Fred Tuemmler. count
director of planning for the Mary
land-National Capital Park an
Planning Commission, raised tn
possibility Of setting up a metro
politan commission to handle th
problems Of financing public wori
on an area-wide basis. He sug
gested that such q commisSio
might be empowered to issue bono
or receive tax funds to carry o,
its plans.
Mr.. Tuemmler urged the meet
ing to take concrete steps to "g'
the idea Of coordination out (
the discussion and into the actic
stage"
As one Of two women boar
members present at the meetin
Mrs. Stella B. Werner Of II
Montgomery County Counc
pointed to the need Of greats