Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-03-01
Ceding Of DC.
Opposed, Star
SurveyFi Finds
Shouldn't Be Part
Of Maryland, Poll
Of Delegates Shows
By Gene Goodwin
Stor Stoff Cores = ondeni

| O6AS1 SSs 6O'--NION
McKeldin, Senator Beall, Repub-
lican, of Maryland, and leaders
of the State Legislature are en-
phatically opposed to proposal
now before Congress to give the
District back to Maryland.
1.-THE city of Washington be-
longs to all of the people of the
United States" Gov. McKeldin
declared today.
ut should be part of no
State"
That view was supported by
Senator Beall and by the over
whelming majority Of 70 men,
bers of the Maryland General
Assembly polled here by The
Star.
Acted in Good Faith.
Senator Beall said Maryland
"acted in good faith" when IN
1870 it coded the 1O-mile square
area to the Federal Govern
ment for the Nations Capital.
We're not Indian-givers," he
added. Il will have to oppose
the proposal"
The other United States
Senator from Maryland, Senator
Butler. Republican. declined to
take a stand. He said he hasn't
had time to study how such a
move would affect the State. He
added. however. that he didn't
think the two bills on the matter
now before Congress have any
chance of passing.
The bills were introduced by
Senator Smith Democrat. of
North Carolina, and Representa-
tive Abernethy. Democrat. of
Mississippi. They have been re-
ferred to the District commit
tees of the two chambers.
Other Moves Failed.
Senator Smith introduced a
similar measure last session, but
it died in committee. The pro-
posal has been made in various
forms over the past several years.
but has never gained widespread
support.
One Of the earliest moves in
this direction was a House res
olution Of 1903. opposed by John
Randolph Of Virginia, who argued
that the wrong of disfranchise-
ment would be otherwise cor.
rected. Georgetown sought I'M
successfully in 1888 to be retro
coded to Maryland. A ecompar-
able effort by Alexandria and
the original Virginia area Of the
District was successful in 1846,
when Congress retroceded the
Virginia area to Virginia to cor
rect the calling disfranchise-
ment" suffered by it's people.
Senator Smith said his intent
in introducing the bill is Ito give
District residents complete home
rule and citizenship. and put
them on par with other Ameri-
can citizens"
Would Shrink Federal Area.
Although his bill does not spell
out the details and mechanics of
the proposed retrocession, he said
he plans to amend it to set aside
"a little area right around the
Capitol as the Federal district"
This would have to be done, he
said. to conform to the ConStitu-
ton. All the rest of the District,
except Federal lands and build
ings, would be transferred to
Maryland.
Senator Smith said he also
intends to amend it to require
concurrence of the Maryland
General Assembly.
Such concurrence would be
hard to come by, The Star sur
vey showed. OF the 70 legisla-
tors polled on the question, So
expressed opposition, is took a
neutral view and S said they were
in favor of taking the District
back.
There are 152 members in the
Legislature, 20 in the State Sen
ate and 1913 in the House of Dele
gates. The 70 questioned by The
Star included all of the Repub-
lican and Democratic leaders, 26
of the 20 Senators and Repre-
| (COntinued on page As Col 4 \