Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-23
SenuteGroup
Would HuIve
Building Time
BY CHARLES YARBRoUGH


An urgent request that con-
struction time on a second air.
port at Burke. Va, be cut to
az years will be contained in
"a recommendation to the Senate
Commerce Committee, it was
learned today.
Most estimates on the pro-
posed Burke airport have set
five years as the time necessary
to bring it to full completion.
Planes could be operating in
three, however. but all installa-
|tions would not be included.
Senator Monroney, Democrat
of Oklahoma, chairman of the
aviation subcommittee, said yes
Iterday the report recommends
ling the Burke location is being
prepared for the full committee.
Would Ask Funds at Once
Commerce Updersecretary
lRothschild yesterday reiterated
his departments willingness to
ask Immediately for go-ahead
funds when the final decision on
the airport location is made. He
first presented the Commerce
island during testimony before
the subcommittee last Monday.
Joint use of Andrews was the
Commerce Departments first
choice in a report submitted to
Congress January 3. The Air
Force strongly opposes the pro-
Iposal, saying the full facilities OF
the big air base are needed In
the air defenses of Washington.
Senator Monroney has con-
Isistently opposed-even ridiculed
the Commerce proposal listing
Andrews as the number one site.
He has used it as ammunition
in his campaign to divorce the
Civil Aeronautics Administration
from Commerce and establish 1t
las an independent agency. It
also has been brought into the
Senator'S inquiry over the FIR
ing" of former CAA Administra.
tor Frederick B. Lee, who re-
signed in December.
The subcommittee reports rec
ommendation for a crash pro-
gram" to complete the Burke
airport in az years would in
volve double stage construction.
with several contracting firms
operating simultaneously. Sena-
/ tor Monroney said.
Fight Is Certain
| How much of a fight will de-
velop in Congress over the Burke
Recommendation is problematical
but one thing is certain-there's
going to be one.
The Maryland congressional
delegation has constantly OPP
posed Burke-or any other place
in favor of Baltimore's Friend
ship International. But even
Commerce rejected the Friend
ship suggestion.
/ Undersecretary Rottsc HID
said in his Monday testimony
that $3.5 million will be needed
Immediately to start the Burke
construction, most of it for addi-
tional engineering.
The Government already has
spent close to a million for prop
Ierty acquisition at Burke, but
Congress all but junked the
project by cutting off additional
money.
j There is strong opposition at
the resident level in Fairfax
County against Burke. but it is
running into powerful compete
ton from the Committee for
Burke Airport. The committee
has the backing of scores Of
business and civic organizations,
including Chambers of Com
Imerce and real estate organiza-
Itions.
Industrial Growth Cited
! The committees officials re-
flute arguments of Burke OPP
Iponents that the project would
be detrimental to the whole of
Fairfax County by citing indus
trial growth which has sur
rounded other new airports in
the Nation.
i Representative Broyhill, Re-
publican of Virginia, whose dis
ltrict includes Fairfax, has
opposed the Burke location. con-
tending that the disadvantages
would outweigh the economic
advantages cited by proponents.