Evening star. [volume], September 12, 1939, Page B-1, Image 17

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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Washington News Society and General D
WASHINGTON, D. C., TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1939. ** • B—1
District's Slum
Program Begun
In Navy Place
House Wreckers
Leveling Homes
For A. D. A. Units
Washington’s long-awaited slum
tlearance program to make way for
erection of A. D. A.-financed homes
Is actually under way, it was
learned today, the initial attack by
house wreckers being directed in one
of the worst squares in the South
east, known as Navy place.
Eviction of white and colored
families from the 121 ramshackled
dwellings in this square is being
undertaken "as considerately as pos
sible.” the Alley Dwelling Authority
announced. "In no case will a
dwelling be demolished until the
family has found living quarters
elsewhere." Executive Officer John
Ihlder said. For this reason, the
work of demolition is proceeding
gradually.
Navy place is the site selected for
the construction of a low-rent hous
ing project to rehouse about 300
white families. In a comparatively
short time work will start in a
nearby area close to the Washington
Navy Yard for similar project de
signed for colored occupancy.
It was estimated there are 176
family dwelling units in Navy place,
Including an apartment house
which is to be reconditioned. Since
two or more families occupy many
of the premises, the actual number
to be dispossessed eventually is not
known. A guess placed the num
ber around 300.
So far 93 dwellings have been
fazed and others will be torn down
bs their occupants find new quar
ters. The A. D. A.’s policy in demoli
tion is to proceed gradually and with
as little publicity as possible in order
to secure the greatest co-operation
and prevent unnecessary hardship
and delay. Mr. Ihlder said.
Navy place is bounded by Sixth
and Seventh streets and G and I
streets S.E. H street does not run to
it. so the area is actually two
equares.
"Wp bavp nrniiirpri all tbp hnusps
we need but 26 and will bring con
demnation proceedings against
these,” Mr Ihlder explained. "The
26 have probably been reduced to
20 as an owner, who threatened to
fight condemnation to the Supreme
Court if necessary, has decided to
take the money.”
The A. D. A. had hoped to bal
ance the destruction of homes in
Navy place by building low-rent
dwellings on the site selected at
Alabama avenue and Twenty-first
street in the Anacostia section.
This development is being planned
for colored occupancy but has been
delayed beyond expectation.
Complications Rlso have arisen
which have delayed the awarding of
a contract for another development
at Ridge road and Anacostia road
S.E. for white families. There is
no certainty now when the contract
for this project can be awarded.
About 1.200 new homes are planned
for the four projects.
Revision Causes Delay.
Mr. Ihlder explained the Alabama
evenue project had been revised.
That necessitated a delay. New
streets and sewer connections had
to be planned, and for this reason
long negotiations were conducted
with District officials. It was be
lieved. however, that the Alabama
avenue contract will be ready to
award soon.
He had planned originally to have
the Alabama avenue houses ready be
fore the Navy place houses were de
molished so that families moving to
the Alabama avenue site from the
ter of the city would leave vacan
cies available for the Navy place
families.
The A. D. A. tries to help the fam
ilies in every way possible, it was
said, but many of them prefer to
seek other quarters on their own in
itiative. Another complication al
ways arises in the matter of rents.
Once it is known that an area is to
be cleared, the tenants often refuse
to pay rent and sometimes decline
to leave their homes. To avoid
forceful eviction, the A. D. A. is
going ahead very slowly with its
demolition in Navy place.
Answer?) unuusm.
Mr. Ihdler yesterday replied to
criticism by E. F. Harris, president
of the Lincoln Civic Association,
who protested plans to move colored
families from West End triangles,
where the new War Department
Building and the Briggs School will
be built. The association had taken
up with the United States Housing
Authority the question of rehousing
those families and was told that the
“responsibility rests upon the A.
D. A.”
Mr. Ihlder made it clear he can
not develop a rehousing project
In that section of the Northwest
because the U. S. H. A. will not
approve the acquisition of property
that costs more than $1.50 per
aquare foot for land and buildings.
No site of sufficient size can be
bought in the west end under that
price, it was said.
‘“We have studied two areas in
your section of the city that seemed
to offer possibilities,” Mr. Ihlder
wrote the association president “and
were reluctantly compelled to give
up hope of utilizing them.”
He said, however, that if Mr.
Harris, representing owners, will
present options on suitable low-rent
housing sites, which would comply
with U. S. H. A. conditions, the
A. D. A. will be greatly appreciative.
Mr. Ihlder said that in the South
west the Government is clearing
several squares and thereby dis
placing several hundred colored
families. “This also is causing us
concern," he added. His letter of
explanation to the association
president was written August 30.
The displacement of families in
the Southwest, to which Mr. Ihlder
referred, already has taken place.
It involved the destruction of 178
buildings, most of them residential
premises.
This was in connection with the
newly authorized buildings for the
Social Security Board requiring the
demolition of 91 units, and the Rail
road Retirement Board for which
87 building were removed.
^ 4
Dancer, Back From London,
Says 50 Colleagues Stranded
Gloria Lane holds her London-made gas mask, even though
it isn’t compulsory any more. —Star Staff Photo.
Washington’s Gloria Lane, who
had tumbled pre-war London off its
; dignity with her twinkling toes, said
today that she left scores of Amer
ican entertainers doing snake dances
to steamship offices trying to book
passage to this side of the Atlantic.
Miss Lane—or Miss La Nelle
Avery in local theater circles and
around her home at 1440 R street
N.W.—was more fortunate than the
others. She obtained last-minute
passage aboard the French Line's
lie de France, which docked in New
York Friday night.
“But I know at least 50 artists
who are still getting the blackouts."
she said. "And are they clamoring
to get away!”
Miss Lane, petite and 20, and her
partner. Chester Fredericks of Lin
den, N. J„ were all set for a return
engagement at London's Savoy
Plaza when the government ordered
“curtains” on all entertainment.
Blackouts and gas masks were the
vogue. Dancing feet could keep
still for a while.
Was Able to Get Cabin.
So Miss Lane and what she terms
the better half of her act 'she plans
to become "Mrs. Fredericks” as soon
as they make enough money to
settle down i hastened to a steam
ship agent for whom they had
danced at one time.
"I'll stand up all the way back if
: you can get us home,” Miss Lane
said she offered. She and another
dancing girl got a cabin and Mr.
Fredericks was given comfortable
quarters. They sailed that afternoon.
September 2.
Miss Lane said she had the op
portunity to put her dance-cultivated
balance to excellent use when the
big liner—completely blacked out
swerved sharply in mid-ocean to
avoid ramming a fishing vessel.
“I was almost tossed on my head,”
she related. “We had heard about
the Athenia's fate and most every
one thought for a minute that a
torpedo had hit us.”
Has Traveled Widely.
In the year and a half that has
gone by since Miss Lane tapped and
glided on local theater stages and
at Presidents’ birthday balls, she has
donned costumes in South Africa.
Belgium, France. Ireland, Scotland
and England, not to mention several
“tune up'' appearances in New York.
Her scrapbook is jammed with
pictures and newspaper clippings.
One English paper in praising her
and Mr. Fredericks' act, referred
to it as “legamania." The "beating
it out” routine which the couple de
veloped for their European engage
ments had the club clients jittery
with rhythm, rather than from the
prospect of air raids.
Speaking of air raids. Miss Lane
said London's famed theater district
is one solid mass of sandbags. En
tertainers went to work with gas
masks hanging from their sides like
handbags before the night spots
were closed.
Miss Lane brought her gas mask
home W’ith her, much to the delight
of her 10-year-old brother Jackie.
Miss Lane said she plans to go
with Mr. Fredericks to New York
to continue her career.
"But not until she gets rid of
that cold." her mother. Mrs. Harvey
V. Avery, interrupted. The dancing
daughter allows she’s lucky a bad
cold is all her presence in war
plagued London cost her.
Girl Bicyclist, 13,
And Woman, 60,
Hurt in Traffic
Several Other Persons
Suffer Minor Injuries
In Accidents
A 13-year-old girl bicylist and a
60-year-old woman pedestrian were j
seriously injured in traffic accidents!
yesterday. Several other persons
suffered lesser hurts.
Frances Harry, 13, of 67 New York
avenue N.E. was in an undetermined
condition at Emergency Hospital to
day from possible internal injuries
suffered when her bicycle, going
down a hill, struck a truck parked
on the grounds of Woodrow Wilson
High School.
The girl's sister, Miriam. 12. who
was riding on a cross bar of the
bicycle, escaped injury, police re
ported.
Sue E. Williams, 60. of 2106 F
street N.W. was seriously hurt when
knocked down by a street car at
Traffic Record
The traffic record, as revealed
at police headquarters for 24
hour period ending at 8 a.m. !
| today:
Fatalities, none.
Accidents, 45.
Motorists injured. 6.
Motorists arrested. 312.
Pedestrians injured. 10.
Pedestrians arrested for vio
lation of pedestrian control
regulations, 16.
Fourteenth street and Pennsylvania
avenue N.W. She was taken to
Emergency Hospital and treated for
a broken hip and wrist.
Lucien W. Bowen, 42, of 1214 S
street S.E., and Frank Parnell, 38,
of 1231 D street N.E., were slightly
cut and bruised yesterday after
noon when their automobile ran
over the sidewalk and hit a tree in
the 3900 block of Alabama avenue
S.E.
Bowen was charged with reckless
driving after his hurts were treated.
Kenneth Langham, 23, and Jack
Sadler, 21, both attached to the 16th
Field Artillery, Fort Myer, were cut
and bruised yesterday afternoon in
an automobile accident at Glen
Echo. They were treated at George
town Hospital and discharged.
Ten-year-old Leslie Wilson, col
ored, of 604 I street SJE., was slight
ly injured yesterday afternoon by
an automobile which struck him as
he ran into the street in front of
his home, police reported.
He was treated at Providence Hos
pital.
Taxpayers pay for traffic tickets.
Traffic violators pay for foolishness.
i
Seal Won t Appeal
Ruling of Appeals
Court on G. H. A.
'Quantity Purchase' of
Service, Not Insurance,
Is Rutledge's View
Corporation Counsel Elwood H.
Seal said today his office would not
appeal the ruling of the Court of
Appeals yesterday that Group
Health Association is not in the in- j
surance business.
After a conference with Assistant
Corporation Counsel Vernon West
on the decision, both decided they
would not go any further "under
the language of the opinion.”
If the insurance case should be
appealed to the Supreme Court of
the United States, Mr. Seal said,
there was some doubt as to whether
the highest tribunal would grant a
writ of certiorari to review the de
cision of the appellate tribunal. He
added that he felt his office had dis
charged its obligation to the com
munity by appealing the decision of
the lower court to the Court of Ap
peals.
The ruling in question was issued
yesterday by Justice Wiley Rutledge
holding Group Health constituted
“quantity purchase of well-rounded
continuous medical service.” The
association. Justice Rutledge said,
was in function “a consumer co
operative” rather than insurance.
The appeal was by the District
superintendent of insurance from
an earlier decision by Justice Jen
nings Bailey in District Court hold
ing that G. H. A. violated neither
the medical nor insurance regula
tions. Only the insurance rfngle,
however, was appealed.
In deciding not to appeal Justice
Rutledge's decision to the Supreme
Court, Mr. Seal said the ruling does
not exempt from insurance regula
tions businesses which issue policies
covering payment of hospital bills.
Meantime there is pending be
fore the Supreme Court an appeal
in another medical case. The De
partment of Justice has asked for a
writ of certiorari to review the deci
sion of Justice James M. Proctor, in
District Court, which sustained a
demurrer of organized medicine to
the indictment charging organized
medicine with violation of the Sher
man Anti-Trust Act. The Proctor
decision, which was a victory for
the forces of organized medicine,
also was appealed to the Court of
Appeals.
Farmers Protest
Farmers of Poland are protesting
that the government is not making
sufficient use of funds raised by a
new tax for the purpose of raising
grain prices.
i
Brown Urges
Supervision of
Wrestling Here
Commission Similar
To Boxing Unit
Is Recommended
Establishment of a Wrestling Com
mission similar to that which now
supervises boxing in the District was
recommended to the Commissioners
today by Police Chief Ernest W.
Brown in his annual report of the
Police Department.
Maj. Brown, who is chairman of
the Boxing Commission, said that at
the present time "there is no super
vision whatever over wrestling.”
"Conditions have developed in
wrestling bouts,” he declared, "that,
in my opinion, require that they be
under the supervision of a commis
sion similar to the commission which
now supervises boxing.
The police chief pointed out that
wrestling contests are conducted
weekly and attract considerable at
tention. In a majority of jurisdic
tions nowadays, he continued, wrest
ling is supervised either under an
Athletic Commission or a commission
similar to the Boxing Commission.
Maj. Brown said he was recom
mending in a separate report the
enactment of legislation which would
place wrestling under some District
agency.
Praises Work in King’s Visit.
Maj. Brown also took occasion to
throw a few bouquets to the Police
Department for their work in con
nection with the visit last June of
the King and Queen of England.
The police services at that time,
he said, were most outstanding and
resulted in a commendation for the
department by both President Roose
velt and King George.
W111C1 illgll 11^1110 LIU. ILJA/l k
included a recommendation for a
new police precinct on property
owned by the District at Forty
second street and Benning road
N.E. Funds to establish the new
station, which would supplement
the work of No. 11 precinct, are
being sought in the 1941 budget
estimate.
There were more than 1.400 less
felonies reported during the past
year than in 1938, the report stated.
The bulk of these were handled by
the Detective Bureau, but a large
number was also reported at pre
cincts Nos. 1 and 2.
More than $1,355,000 worth of lost
and stolen automobiles, bicycles
and motorcycles was reported by J
the department. This included
more than 2,000 automobiles, more
than 1,000 bicycles and 10 motor
cycles, The Detective Bureau re- |
covered more than $104,000 worth of
this property.
Inquiry on Gambling.
Maj. Brown revealed that the de
partment at the moment is conduct
ing "a thorough and intensive in
vestigation of gambling conditions"
in the District, which, he said, will
shortly result in numerous arrests.
He pointed to a decreasing per
centage of juvenile arrests as evi
dence of the value of the Police
Boys' Clubs.
The police chief also had high
praise for the radio system which
he said was "proving to be invalu
able'’ to the department. During
the past year, more than 128,000
calls were sent over the system,
which he said represented an in
crease of 15,000 calls over the pre
vious 12 months. Radio communi
cation with the Maryland State
police has also proved of great
value.
He reminded that a study is being
made at this time of the installment
of a two-way communication sys
tem.
board of trade uroup
To Survey Firehouses
The Public Order Committee of
the Washington Board of Trade will
make a survey to determine whether
firehouses, particularly those in the
downtown section, might be consoli
dated and will co-operate with Dis
trict authorities making a similar
survey, authorized by Congress.
The committee was instructed
last night to make the survey by
Lawrence E. Williams, president of
the Board of Trade, at a dinner
meeting of the Public Order and
Membership Committees in the
Washington Golf and Country Club.
Mr. Williams advised the committee
to withhold any recommendations,
however, until it has made a “care
ful survey of the facts.”
The District government's survey
is being made under direction of
Capt. Patrick H. Tansey, Assistant
Engineer Commissioner.
Many of the firehouses, Mr. Wil
liams pointed out today, were built
in the days of the horse-drawn
engines, which were confronted with
different problems from those faced
today by the motorized engines.
Speakers at last night's meeting
included Col. D. M. McCoach, jr.,
Engineer Commissioner; Capts.
Tansey, C. L. Adcock and J. L. Per
sons, Assistant Engineer Commis
sioners, and Dr. James A. Nolan,
director of the Criminal Justice As
sociation, who outlined the purposes
and progress of his organization.
Commissioner Hazen was unable to
attend, due to the illness of Mrs.
Hazen.
Blasts for Sewer
Alarm Residents
Residents in the vicinity of Cal
vert Street Bridge last night made
anxious inquiries of police and news
paper offices after two blasts rever
berated through the neighborhood.
They were ihformed that work
men were dynamiting in the new
sewer tunnel being built in Rock
Creek Park. It was the first time
that blasting had been done at night,
although the work has been in
progress for several weeks.
The blasts were plainly heard by
guests of the Shoreham and Ward
man Park hotels and by residents
of apartment houses on the east
side of the park.
I
EARTH AGAINST RIVER—The earth fill here shown under way is expected to protect the
Washington Airport and United States highway No. 1 from the highest potential flood stage of the
Potomac. —Star Staff Photo.
Science Argues 3 Theories
Of 'Divorce' of Continents
Geodesy and Geophysics Union
Hears Barrage of Discussion
By JOHN J. DALY.
Three distinct theories of why the
continents of Europe arid America
are separated were advanced yester
day in a discussion of ocean basins,
led by Dr. R. M. Field, professor of
geology at Princeton, before the
Commission of Continental and
Oceanic Structure of the Interna
tional Union of Geodesy and
Geophysics, meeting at George
Washington University.
First, it was stated that Europe
and America floated apart long,
long ago.
Second, that the fundamental
structure connecting the two con
tinents under svater is made up
practically of the same material;
which denotes that the area now
occupied by the Atlantic Ocean was
once a part of the two territories
before the land sank.
Third, that the land which is the
bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, once
above water, did not sink all at
once, but was pushed up and down
gradually by waves of pressure
through the underlying crust.
Middle of Ocean Shallowest.
To prove this latter theory, dis
cussed at the outset of the meeting
by the outstanding structural geol
ogist of Princeton University, Prof.
W. T. Thom, it was pointed out that
the deepest part of the Atlantic
Ocean is immediately off the Amer
ican coast and that the shallowest
part is directly in mid-ocean, called
the Middle Atlantic Ridge, probably
the location of the Lost Atlantis; if
ever there was such a place.
Immediately these three theories
were advanced, representatives of
many branches of physical science—
astronmy. geodesy and geophys
ics—and launched the heaviest dis
cussion of earth material and its
mysterious manifestations heard in
the lecture halls of George Wash
ington University for many a day.
The four giants of the scientific
world who carried the brunt of the
arguments were Prof. Thom, Dr. F.
V. Meinesz of the Netherlands, who
is president of the Association of
Geodesy; Dr. B. Gutenberg, geol
ogist of the California Institute of
Technology, and Dr. H. Jeffreys, a
fellow of the Royal Society and pro
fessor of St. John's College, Cam
bridge, England.
Started in the early morning, the
profound discussions ran until late
afternoon, with noted scientists
from many nations taking part.
The realm of higher mathematics
was invaded, and even the stars
brought into play, with undersea
measurements bandied about and
contradictions rampant.
co-operative rveea airessra.
However, all ended in friendship,
even though the scientists disagreed
on many points. Out of it may
come great advancement in world
knowledge—for it was agreed that
in the future the astronmers, the
geodesists and the geophysicists,
who have previously worked some- j
what apart, must get closer together
if mankind is to be benefited. All
who took part in yesterday’s dis- j
cussion were invited to make writ- j
ten reports of their various findings
and these will be published by the
International Union.
Dr. R. M. Field, chairman of the
commission, declared afterward that
his branch of science, geology, was
in need of information held in es
crow by the astronomers and the
geodesists—men who make their
measurements of the earth from
far-separated vantage points.
Dr. Field set off the debate by de
claring that "While some geolo
gists will dissent, probably the great
majority of structural students
would agree that a gliding of the
crust over the subcrust of the earth
must in some manner occur in order
to produce known major deforma
tional features such as islahd-arcs,
lineal mountain ranges featured by
notable thrust-faults, and the like.
The best chance to determine how
this gliding occurs, and has oc
curred, lies in oceanic explorations.”
Some Parts Thus Explored.
It happens that Dr. Meinesz has
spent several years in an especially
fitted submarine that plied the bot
tom of the Atlantic Ocean, and part
of the Pacific, in search for just
such material. These two scientists
agreed that scientific exploration of
sub-oceanic areas may reasonably
be regarded as the most important
enterprise in which students of
continental structure can be in
terested at the present time.
"Because the regions to be ex
plored are so large,” Dr. Field said,
“and because the difficulties to be
overcome will make necessary so
much special equipment, many men
and many agencies with special
capacities will be needed in this ex
ploration.”
Promise was made by the scien
tists of “harmonious collaboratioh
in-research.” One of the first step#
In this preparation is a huge map
of what is known as "the basement
of the United States.” prepared by
Dr. Thom and viewed with great
interest by geologists and geophysi
cists.
What the basement of the United
States looks like is shown by strip
ping away all the earth and shale
and getting, actually, down to bed
rock. By that process, the map—
in relief—makes easy a study of
the whole structure that supports
the America Americans know. It
was pointed out that, in the making
of this unusual map. Dr. Thom had
the assistance of 2,500 oil geologists,
members of the American Associa
tion ' of Petroleum Geology, the
United States Geodetic Survey,
numerous State geologists, and such
State organizations as the Kansas
State Geological Society, who
mapped the Sioux Uplift, the Twin
Cities Basin and the Wisconsin
Dome—working with the Texas
State Bureau of Economic Geology.
80 Per Cent Accurate.
KJllC pUilll UlUUglll UUL UV LlllO
study is that, in the central low
lands of America—from the Ap
palachians to ihe Rockies—there
are oil, gas and artesian wells to
the number of 600,000. The whole
map is described by its maker as a
picture puzzle, or probably the big
gest jig-saw puzzle ever put to
gether. Still, it is not complete, but
it is nearly four-fifths accurate.
This because modem scientific
methods, in use since 1923, made
the map possible. Tl*e other one
fifth. in doubt, will be completed
no man knows when, but the work
will go on.
•'With continents occupying less
than one-half of the globe's sur
face, we've got to explore the ocean
beds to get the complete picture,"
Dr. Thom said, “but already this is
being done.” And he told of surveys
recently made off the Atlantic
Coast. Also of work done in the
central part of the Hudson Bay
country—and as far down as Nash
ville, Tenn. This section is known
among the scientists as the Cana
dian Shelf. It starts in Southern
Canada.
Dr. Thom, congratulated on his
scientific work by men from other
nations, is formerly a member of
the United States Geological Sur
vey and lived in Washington many
years until he went to Princeton 12
years ago. His work for the Gov
ernment was mostly in the petro
leum fields.
Band Concerts
By the United States Soldiers'
Home Band this evening at 6 o'clock
in the Soldiers' Home bandstand.
John S. M. Zimmermann, bandmas
ter; Anton Pointner, assistant.
PROGRAM.
March. “The World in Arms' —Teike i
Overture, "My Lady Mistress.”
Von Suppe
Solo for clarinet, “Les Alsachiennes,”
Le Thiere
Musician Virgilio Villatice
Duet for clariet and flute, “Lo. Hear
the Gentle Lark”_Bishop
Musicians Villatico and Preziose
Excerpts from Irish musical comedy,
“Barry of Ballymore”_Olcott
Popular numbers—
“The Donkey Serenade"... Friml
“I’m Just a Vagabond Lover,”
Zimmermann
Valse petite, “Valse Bluette”_.Drlgo
"The Star Spangled Banner.”
By the United States Army Band
this evening at 6:30 o'clock in the
formal garden at Walter Reed Hos
pital. Capt. Darcy, leader; Mr.
Hubner, assistant leader.
Program.
March, “The Battle of the Winds,”
Duble
Overture, “The Mill on the Cliff,”
Reissiger
Popular. "Over the Rainbow,” from
the “Wizard of Oz,”
Harburg and Arlen
Quartet, “Two Pairs of Slippers,”
Putnam
Messrs. Keig Garvin. Clarence Hur
rel, Randolph Walters and Wil
liam Vogelson, trombonists.
Suite Espanol, “The Courts of
Granada” . _Chapi
Valse, “Oriental Roses”_Ivanovici
Vignette, “Manhattan Serenade,”
Alter ;
Selection, “Alma, Where Do You
Live?” .Briquet
Finale, “Grandioso March”-Seitz
“The Star Spangled Banner.”
Leroy Is Bar Speaker
“The Right of Neutrals in Respect
to Aircraft in Wartime,” will be
discussed by Howard S. Leroy at
a luncheon meeting of the Federal
Bar Association tomorrow at 12:30
p.m. at the Army and Nary Club.
I
A. D. A. Asks Ruling
On Reviving Bid
Rejected by U. S. H. A.
Ridge Road Project
In Strange Tangle as
Decision Is Reversed
Whether a Government agency
can recall and accept a low con
struction bid after its formal rejec
tion was a question which hinges to
day on an anticipated ruling of
Controller General Fred H. Brown
in connection with a rejected con
tract for the proposed housing proj
ect of the Alley Dwelling Authority j
on Ridge road S.E.
The situation developed as a re
sult of an unexpected turn of events
in which the United States Housing
Authority, after forcing the A. A. A.
to rejected the $1,360,000 bid of John
McShain. Inc., of Baltimore, now
asks the local agency to rescind its
action. Questioning the legality of
such a procedure. John Ihlder, ex
ecutive officer of the A. D. A., an
nounced yesterday he had submitted
the question to the General Account
ing Office for an opinion.
V/UIUUlCllWiig Ull WiC hUl
action which the U. S. H. A. has
asked him to take. Mr. Ihlder said:
“The result is a situation that ap
parently is without precedent.”
Seeks to Avoid Complication.
The Alley Dwelling Authority
would welcome the opportunity to
rescind its action, it was said, but in
all its experience with Government j
contracting it has never before been
confronted with such a proposal.
So long as there was doubt about the
legality involved, it resolved to act
cautiously and obtain an opinion to
avoid another possible complication.
If the controller general upholds
the desired action, the contract can
be accepted immediately and con
struction work should start in a
short while. On the other hand an
adverse opinion would cause at least
two more months of delay. By then 1
winter wdll have set in before the
foundations are dug.
The A. D. A. was required to re- 1
ject all bids for construction of the
project on September 6 when the
U. S. H. A. refused to approve the
recommendation on the ground that j
the accepted bid was too high. On !
the day following the letter of re- j
jection sent to all bidders, the U. S.
H. A. reconsidered. It asked the
Alley Dwelling Authority to rescind
its rejection and make the award
as originally recommended. No of
ficial explanation of this unexpected
request was made and it came to
light only yesterday.
Cited Rising Costs.
When the A. D. A. recommended
acceptance of the McShain bid. Mr.
Ihlder said, it called attention to the
fact that the costs of labor and ma
terials are rising and delay might
result in higher construction costs.
In view of the European war and
rising prices in the United States,
it was believed the U. S. H. A. defi
nitely made up its mind that a delay
of about two months could result
only in considerably higher bids for
the Ridge road project. Its con
sultants had agreed, it is under
stood, that it would require at least
six weeks to revise the specifications
and plans to meet the rigid require
ments of the Federal agency. Then
would follow another delay before
the bids could be advertised and
av/b/CfPicu.
The United States Housing Au
thority had taken 12 days to con
sider the bids and make up its mind
if ter they had been submitted from
the A. D. A. Even with the utmost
baste it was hardly likely that a
tiew contract could be awarded be
fore November 1.
Mr. Ihlder contended yesterday
that the McShain bid, with a base
imourit of $1,360,000—subject to re
vision downward—is considerably
below the statutory limit on costs
of dwellings financed by U. S. H. A.
Furthermore, he declared, it was
within the cost limits agreed upon
last spring between the two agencies.
Exceeded June Estimate.
“However,” he added, “the bid ex- 1
:eeds by approximately 10 per cent
he estimate made by the architects
n June, when the preliminary plans
were approved. The U. S. H. A.’s
•ejection was largely based on the
ixcess of the bid over the estimate.” :
The question before the General I
Accounting Office is an important
)ne, as it involves the established I
procedure with relation to Govern
ment contracts. Officials questioned <
lid not know off-hand of any prece- 1
lent wherein a contract, once re
lected, had been accepted.
Should the controller general rule I
hat the McShain contract must re- 1
main voided, the only alternative is
for the A. D. A. to revise specifica- i
tions and readvertise for bids. The ]
Ridge road project is designed for i
126 white families on a Government
Dwned tract at the intersection of ■
Ridge road and Anacostia road. It i
bas been in process of planning for
nine months. i
4
Earth Fill Due
To End Airport
Flood Menace
Shift in Operations
Because of Weather
To Be Unnecessary
By JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.
A 300,000 - cubic - yard earth fill
which is expected to end forever
the flood menace at the airport
and along United States No. 1 high
way, and which will end the neces
sity for transferring airline opera
tions to Bolling Field under ad
verse weather conditions, now is in
progress at Washington Airport.
The fill, being made with earth
excavated for the foundations of the
Social Security Board Building, al
ready has raised the airport level
at the north end along Boundary
Channel to 16 feet above water
level — approximately three feet
above the level of the highest flood
in Potomac River history.
In addition to raising the field
level, the fill has been carried sev
eral hundred feet to the north be
tween Boundary Channel and the
Arlington Experimental Farm to
provide a right-of-way for a new
runway extending from this point
to the vicinity of the Eastern AIV
Lines hangar on No. *1 highway,
crossing the present long runway.
New Landing Facilities.
Completion of this new landing
strip, according to Samuel J. Solo
mon, airport manager, will provide
necessary new “cross-wind" landing
facilities which will prevent the
necessity of transferring operations
to BoHing Field under certain
cross-wind conditions as now is re
quired under regulations of the
Civil Aeronautics Authority.
The fill is approximately one-third
completed, Mr. Solomon announced,
and is expected to be finished about
October 15. A fleet of 60 large trucks
is being used to move the earth from
the Social Security Board job and
the fill is arriving at the airport as
rapidly as it can be spread and
leveled by “bulldozers" and scrapers.
Asked about the effect of the con
struction of Washington National
Airport at Gravelly Point on his
project, Mr. Solomon explained that
the National Airport Corp., which
owns Washington Airport, as yet
“has no plans other than to continue
operating" the local air terminal as
an airport. He said there is no as
surance that Washington Airport
will continue in operation after the
giant Federal airport is completed,
but that no decision on this ques
tion has yet. been reached.
Important Improvement.
Regardless of the fate of Wash
ington Airport, it was pointed out,
the fill now in progress is an impor
tant permanent improvement for an
area which always has been sub
jected to flooding. The airport fill,
Mr. Solomon pointed out. will per
manently safeguard No. 1 highway
and buildings in the commercial
and industrial zone from Highway
Bridge to Columbia pike from dan
ger of high water.
The highest flood in Potomac his
tory. in March. 1938. rose to a level
of 13.8 feet at Key Bridge, tapering
down to a level of 12.5 feet at High
way Bridge, Mr. Solomon said. The
level at Washington Airport was be
tween these two figures. The fill to
16 feet is being made along the
entire length of Boundary Channel
from the Arlington Farm to the Air
port Pool, a distance of about 3.000
feet.
The level at the pool end will be
that of the concrete platform around
the swimming pool, which was high
above the 1938 flood level. The fill
there will make possible the con
struction of a large new beach and
recreational area adjoining the
swimming pool along Boundary
Channel, to be ready before next
spring.
Six Feet Above Runway.
The fill along the channel already
is up to a level of about 6 feet above
the main runway and the plan of
his company is to raise the level of
the entire field ultimately to this
grade. Mr. Solomon said. Because
of the necessity of keeping the run
ways open constantly for air traffic,
however, no effort is being made
now to build up the runway area.
Should, however, the airport be
abandoned as an air terminal fol
lowing the completion of Gravelly
Point, now scheduled for next July,
efforts will be made to complete the
fill over the present runways in
preparation for subdividing the air
port property for general real estate
purposes, it is understood.
Construction of a levee along
Boundary Channel long has been
under consideration by the local
Army engineer office as a part of
the permanent Potomac Rivet flood
control program. No funds have
been provided for the purpose, how
ever, and the present fill will make
it unnecessary for the Federal Gov
ernment to undertake this project.
The traffic control system formerly
in operation on Military road where
it crossed the main airport runway
bas been put back into operation
temporarily to keep the dump truck
;raffic from interfering with airline
sperations.
fwo Suspects Returned
[o Face Robbery Charge
Two suspects charged with rob
>ery in the $10,000 holdup of the
Washington Mechanics Saving Bank
n June of 1932 were returned here
yesterday from Utica. N. Y., by Capt.
?loyd Truscott and Detective Sergt.
’Yank Brass.
They were Samuel Rubin. 45, and
roseph Flynn, 35, both of New York
3ity, who had Just completed sen
ences of from 7 to 10 years at Dan
lemora Penitentiary for a holdup
n New York. A third alleged mem*
>er of the gang, James Foley, 35, wai
etumed here a month ago after
>ervlng a similar term at the same
jenitentiary. District officials lodged
•etainers for the prisoners.
A fourth suspect, Barney Newfleld,
15, is at liberty under $10,000 bond
>n a robbery charge, according to
inspector Bernard W. Thompson,
:hlef of detectives.
4