Evening star., 1955-02-25
Butler AssaiIs
Senate Role in
Belt Road Row
..-'
MoryIond's Rights
Violated, He Says, as
Hearings Stort
BY George Beveridee

Senator Butler. Republican, Of
Maryland. told the Senate In.
terror Committee today he con-
sidered it was invading the
sovereign rights" of Maryland by
injecting itself into the" dispute
over whether the inter-county
belt road should be built through
a Maryland section of Rock
Creek Park.
He made the statement in q
letter as the committee opened
hearings on a resolution. aimed
at blocking the park use.
The belt road, completely en-
circling Washington" would cut
through the southern part Of
Rock Greek Park extended be-
tween Wisconsin avenue and
Forest Glen in Maryland.
The Star disclosed last Sum
day that construction on the
first project in the Park road
Is about to begin. The Park
road stretch was approved by
the National Capital Planning
Commission, as required by law,
With the understanding the roAd
would be built to parkway
standards.
Met Requirements, Butler Said.
The resolution would direct
the planning commission to
withdraw approval for such q
road and also require specific
congressional authority for any
new road in the Washington por-
ton of Rock Greek Park proper.
Senator Butler said he did not
want to argue the merits OF
whether the road would harm
the park, but since the State has
met requirements of law and
planning commission approval 1t
Is fundamentally an internal
matter to be determined by the
State of Maryland"
While the most direct effect
of the resolution would be on
the belt road, however. q large
number OF witnesses turned out
today to protest the threat Of an
evenual limited-access roadway
through the western part Of Rock
Creek Park proper to downtown
| Washington.
The reason Is that the Mary
land Roads Commission intends
to connect the belt road west OF
Wisconsin avenue with the new
United States Route 240.
Second Route Planned.
Later plans call for dropping
a second road from the belt
route outside the Maryland park
to be built southwark toward the
Washington park. Maryland Of
f1cials say they have no imme-
diate plans for this second con-
troversial project. however.
, Committee Chairman Murray
convened the hearing in the large
Senate caucus room in antici-
patton of the large number Of
officials and citizens who turned
out.
Senator Murray said his pur-
pose was to determine whether
the proposed roads injure park
values in conflict with the Fed
eral interest in them.
Prospects were that Maryland
officials would follow the lead Of
Senator Butler-contending that
they properly have obtained per-
mission to use part of Rock
Creek Park extended near Wis
consin avenue and that what
they do outside of park lands in
Maryland is a concern only Of
the State.
Bartholomew Defends Stand.
Opening the testimony, Chair
man Harland Bartholomew Of
the Planning Commission, de-
Tended his groups approval Of
the belt route to traverse the
Maryland park.
He insisted that the approval
did not extend to permitting
Route 240 traffic to use that park
road section "a contention
Maryland officials are certain to
dispute.
Mr.. Bartholomew said there
was sharp distinction between
building heavy traffic road in
q well established park such as
Continued on Page Alb, Col. 81