Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-10
f Street Bridge
Proposal Called
Waste Of Time
Howard Smith Sees
Memorial Groups
Stond FutuI to Plan
BY George Beveridee

Representative Smith, Demo-
crat, Of Virginia told a House
District subcommittee today that
it was wasting a lot of time"
considering the proposed E street
bridge in view of opposition to
the bridges crossing of Roose-
welt Memorial Island.
He said that to propose the E
street span without consent of
the Theodore Roosevelt Associa-
tion-sponsors of the Roosevelt
Memorial Island-would be IAN
immoral act which in my opinion
Congress would not consider for
three seconds"
Earlier the E street project
was criticized as "a grievous and
costly mistake" by Harland
Bartholomew, National Capital
Planning Commission chairman;
Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant. III. presi-
dent of the American Planning
and Civic Association; David P.
Finley, chairman of the Fine
Arts Commission, and C. c.
Robinson. director of the North
ern Virginia Regional Planning
Commission.
On District Committee.
While not a member of the
subcommittee considering pro-
posed bridges at E street and
Jones Point, Alexandria, Mr..
Smith is a powerful member Of
/ the full District Committee.
| He has had a major voice in
previous bridges authorized in
the Washington area.
Before 1850 his district in
! cluded Alexandria and Arlington
and Fairfax Counties. AS a re-
suit of redistricting, that area is
now represented by Representa-
tive Broyhill, Republican, and
Mr.. Smiths district covers 20
counties Immediately to the
south.
FavOrs Alexandra Bridge.
/ Appearing as witness today.
Mr.. Smith said he long has IA
vored an Alexandria bridge.
which becomes more essential
every day." He urged the SUBJ
committee also to seriously con-
slider a Reaches Run bridge, as
proposed by the National Capt.
tai Planning Commission. Just
downriver from the Fourteenth
Street Bridge network.
He said he has opposed the
< street proposal since its in
ception," however. for two rea-
sons. One is feeling that the
bridge would channel more
traffic into an already congested
area" in Washington.
In addition, he said, he was
satisfied that when Congress &C
cepted deed to the Roosevelt
Island in 1882 from the Roose-
welt association for development
as a memorial wilderness area,
it agreed to a firm contract that
nothing would be put on the
island without the associations
consent.
Frankly, think you're vast
ing lot of time. Unless you get
the consent of the association,
it is a complete waste of time
and motion to submit such a
proposition to Congress-" he de-
clared.
See Threat to Island.
Association officials contended
in testimony yesterday that the
bridge would thwart the islands
function as a "primeval forest
and wilderness area"
Mr.. Smith also said he wanted
to clear up questions raised about
whether Virginia meets it's re-
sponsibility toward Potomac
| bridge costs. Last week the
State Highway Department told
the subcommittee it could not
put more money into this area
for approaches to the E street
or Jones Point bridges. Mr..
Smith said the State always has
done its share in building roads
within State boundaries, and
added:
Il can say confidently that
when the chips are down Vir-
ginia is going to do it's share, but
(See BRIDGES, Page A-5.)