Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-20
Early Decision Due
On Second Airport
Rothschild
estifies at
Senate Quiz
By CHARLES J. YARBRoUGH

BY CHARLES J. YARBROUGH
A speedy decision on location
iof Washington's second airport
was promised on Capitol Hill
today.
Senator Monroney. Democrat
of Oklahoma. chairman of the
aviation subcommittee, respond
led quickly when committee mem
bers were told by Undersecretary
of Commerce Rothschild I'VE are
prepared at this moment to ask
for funds if you'll give us a de-
ciSion on the site"
/ Mr.. Rothschild and the Com
merce Department have been
under fire from Senator Mon
roney for what he terms ''in-
action" on the controversial air.
port problem.
] Commerce has submitted a re-
port recommending the joint use
tof Andrews Air Force Base as
the No. l choice for a second
airport and listing the Burke,
Va, site as the second best.
Hits Andrews Choice
Senator Monroney assailed the
report again today, particularly
Its choice of Andrews. IF I ever
saw a dangerous recommends
ton for air safety, this takes the
prize he told Mr.. Rothschild.
The Undersecretary was the
only witness in the abbreviated
morning session.
i The subcommittee chairman
renewed his plea for swift action
on the airport decision, saying
he Is prepared to call an ex-
ecutive session for a final choice
to submit to the full Commerce
Committee.
/ I'VE have to get on with it."
he declared. The time for &C
ton is long past. We're going
ito be able to pave a runway
with reports if we don't get on
with this thing
Three Years Away
! He drew testimony from Mr..
Rothschild that it would still be
lat least three years before a
plane could land if a new airport
were started Immediately.
I Senator Monroney left little
doubt as to his personal choice of
sites-at least to the extent of
ruling out the joint use of An
drews.
/ Why" he asked, should we
Idilly-dally with temporary ex-
Ipedient costing $50 million when
for $50 million we could have a
brand new airport for civil use
ialone?' 1t has been estimated
that improvements and an addi-
tional runway at Andrews to ac-
commodate commercial flights
would cost about $50 million.
! Likewise. there is no doubt
of Air Force opposition to the
Andrews selection.
It was fairly apparent during
the morning hearing that the
subcommittee would favor the
Burke selection.
! Mr.. Rothschild testified that
with some changes in the tenta-
tive plans already worked out on
the Burke site that most of the
objections could be removed.
Commerce had spent about ST
million on the Virginia location
when funds were stopped.
1 Another Meeting Tomorrow
Senator Monroney called for
another session tomorrow after
noon to head additional testi-
mony from representatives of the
Air Transport Association, the
Air Lines Pilots Association and
the Air Force.
Alta testified last summer that
a new parallel runway at Ma
tional might be a good stopgap
remedy for the air traffic prob
lens here. The Air Lines Pilots
also is on record about the Joint
use of Andrews at leaSt-"An-
drewS. all or none"
Senator Monroney has been
highly critical of Commerce and
its airport report, insisting that
Senate committee. when it asked
for recommendations on a new
airport, Commerce came up with
the Andrews proposal rather
than a new civil field. His com.
mittee is probing the Civil Aero
nautics Administration in an at
tempt to divorce it from Com
merce and return it to the inde-
pendent agency status.
He also has Commerce Secre-
tary Weeks under fire in the GUS
ter of Frederick B. Lee as ad.
ministrator of CAA. Mr.. Lee re-
signed December 10. He was in
the hearing room for today's ses-
sion.