Evening star., 1954-11-07
Our Airport Crisis National Becomes Worlds Most Coneesed
Settlement Seen in Battle
Over Burke and Andrews

ing about $4,000 In the FED.
eral courts for condemnation
suits, took title to l,045 acres
title 1t still holds.
Out of an original 81 million
appropriation, that was all the
land that could be obtained. So,
in 1862. the Government asked
Congress for more.
And that's when the organized
Fairfax citizens went to work
politically. The bids for money
were defeated by moves led In
the House by Republican Repre-
sentative Broyhill and in the
Senate by Democratic Senator
Byrd and Robertson. Virtually
the entire Maryland delegation
still Pumping for Friendship
hoped quickly on the band.
wagon to block Burke.
In January Of this year, the
Justice Department finally
dropped the grip it had on all
but the 1.045 Of Burke's $500
acres. But Commerce and Jus
tice officials insisted the project
was still alive.
Try Andrews Solution.
About q year earlier. mean.
while. in April. 1858. President
Eisenhower had ordered the
Budget Bureau fatty to find
some way out of the long drawn
dilemma. The next month, Com
merce Secretary Weeks and Air
Force Secretary Talbot an
nounced they had agreed to work
out a joint military-civil use Of
Andrews.
BY last January, Commerce Of
ficials said the negotiations were
tough going" Last June II, Mr..
Talbot announced the negotia.
tions appear difficult to resolve"
In the interim. as the result
Of the crash Of a military plane
near Andrews. residents Of that
area also protested strongly
against joint n1ilitary-civilian
use of the field. The protests
were revived recently following
another crash near Clinton. Md.
Such was the status this week,
when the White House was push-
ing new discussions to lead to-
ward q firm administration
stand.
Two major groups, the Wash.
ington Board of Trade and. rep
resenting commercial airlines,
the Air Transport Association,
nave stood solidly behind the
Burke project. When the EN-.
phasis switched last year to An
i drews. however. both went along.
The airlines group figures
Andrews would give more free
dom of operation, and be fully
! acceptable. But it gives ansedge
Ito Burke because of its nearness
to Warrington National permit
lting speedy movement between
1.-The two air fields for passengers
| and air crews.
Reject New Revenue Argument.
The Board of Trade, concerned
over a shutdown on air travel
to the Capital. has argued Burke
would enhance financial reve-
nues for Fairfax County. It con-
! tends the new airport would
| bring $40 million a year in direct
1 and indirect revenues.
To this argument, the Burke.
area residents turn thumbs
down. emphatically.
Mr.. Howe, who said his COM
mittee of about 20 members
represents property owners
throughout Fairfax County, said
it opposes Burke mainly because
of danger, nuisance and deteri-
grafton of property-the same
basis on which the County Board
of Supervisors opposed Burke or
any other airport site in Fairfax
County"
Little happened to the Burke
area between 1851, when the
Federal taking claim was filed,
and last January, when the
freeze was lifted. Mr.. Howe said.
This year, however, there has
been considerable Improvement
Of property. including some sub
dividing and new construction,
he said.
When word of the new airport
talks got out recently. Mr..
Howe said his group got new
pledges Of staunch support" from
Senators Byrd and Robertson
and Mr.. Broyhill.
Mr.. Howe said he thought his
groups opposition would also ex-
tend to most Of the other Fair.
lex sites originally studied by
the CAA.