Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-07
Parks Terrain
To Be Unhurf
By New Road
Wirth Gives Pledge
On CondI Hiehwoy
To Senate Group

CONSTRUCTION OF q new Sec
ton Of road from Chain Bridge
to Cabin John as an extension
Of the George Washington Me-
mortal Parkway will be accom-
plished with as little damage as
possible to the terrain, a Senate
Appropriations subcommittee was
told today by Director Conrad L.
Wirth Of the National Park
Service.
The witness made this promise
in answer to criticism filed with
the committee from many Audu-
bon societies and garden clubs.
Subcommittee Chairman Hay
den. Democrat, of Arizona said
the committee had received "nu-
merous'' letters protesting
against the construction Of the
parkway through what is now
wooded land.
Witnesses will be given OPP
portunity to testify to their OBJ
jectionS on this point before the
committee about April 10, it was
learned.
Mr.. Wirth explained that
under funds already approved by
the House, which he hopes the
Senate also will appropriate, q
section of the parkway will be
graded and paved from Chain
Bridge to the District line and
another section will be graded
from the District line to Cabin
John. Md. Property already has
been acquired by the Govern
ment for this extension.
81 Million Needed
Mr.. Wirth asked the suboom-
mittee to restore 81 million which
had been cut by the House from
the recommended budget of S4,-
TBS 5000 in that part of the park
service funds for construction.
Unless this million dollars is re-
stored, many projects will have
to be postponed in various parts
of the country, the subcommittee
was told in formal commune
cation from the Park Service. But
the only one to be put off for
future development in this, area
would be the proposed ferry ter
minal on Roosevelt Island.
The Park Service is now COM
plotting plans for construction of
the parkway from Chain Bridge
to Cabin John, Mr.. With exc
planned. Both ribbons of the two
lane parkway will be on the bank
side of the canal, he said. The
lower one will be close to the
canal and the other will be cut
into the bank at a higher level
all the way from the bridge to q
point beyond Glen Echo, where it
may be run on top of the bank.
Explain Control Shift
Asked by Senator Holland,
Democrat. of Florida, about pro.
posals of the Park Service to re-
linquish control over two parks
here. Mr.. Wirth explained his
reasons for this. He said the Fed
eral section of the Washington
Baltimore parkway from the
Capitol to Fort Meade and also
the Suitland parkway were
started as military roads. They
were turned over to the park
service which completed them.
he said. But no whe feels that
both of these are more of q
limited access road than park
way and should be managed by
some other agency.
Among the items already ap.
proved by the House in the
pending appropriation bill for
the Interior Department, Mr..
Wirth urged the Senate to also
approve 100000 for a commits
sion to handle plans for the
350th anniversary In 1857 of the
founding of jamestown. Va. and
$4,000 to plan the Tooth ami
versary In 1855 of the birth Of
Woodrow Wilson.
The Senate subcommittee
plans to hear appeals for restora-
ton of House cuts in its budgets
from the National Capital Plan
ming Commission.
Mr.. Wirth explained that the
Park Service is expecting a re-
port early in June from a COM
mercial firm making a survey Of
the structural soundness Of the
old Ford Theater on Tenth
street. This study is being made
In response to an act of Congress
requiring a report on the feast
bility Of reconstructing the old
theater to the condition it was
in at the time Of the assassina-
ton of President Lincoln.
CL. Cit IL