The Key West Citizen

"SECOND LINE OF DEFENSE"

If the suggestions contained in the report of the Hepburn Naval Advisory Board made public at Washington Wednesday are finally approved by Congress, the Southeastern Navy Air Base will be located at Jacksonville. As it looks now, there seems little chance of changing that setup; so Jacksonville is entitled to the congratulations of Key West, Miami and other communities that sought the base.

The Key West Aviation Committee headed by Charles Taylor is refusing to take the Hepburn report as the final bell in the fight to bring the navy air base to this city. Believing from the beginning the Hepburn board could not be swerved from its original decision to favor Jacksonville's bid, the Key West group has been quietly working among the members of the naval affairs committees of both the Senate and the House. Today that effort is being intensified. The committee plans to be represented at the committee hearings in Washington and proposes to have proponents of Key West's plan carry the fight to the floor of both houses when the navy air base proposition comes up for debate.

This is the kind of fighting tactics that has been so sadly lacking in many other promotions put forth by this city.

The Key West Aviation Committee plans to dispute the Hepburn Board's findings that the cost of locating the navy air base here would be excessive, that there is no adequate water supply, that there are no transportation facilities and that a costly breakwater would have to be built if the Trumbo section were converted to naval flying operations.

Although The Citizen feels the effort to land the navy air base will not bear fruit, it is certain the Key West group will be able to focus the attention of Congress on the facilities available here for other naval operations. The Hepburn report guaranteed Key West status as "second line of defense." Therein lies Key West's hope of bringing about reopening of the naval station on an active basis, commissioning of the submarine base and selection of this city as an auxiliary navy air base.

The Citizen hopes the Key West Aviation Committee follows through its fine effort to land the air base plum in belief that it will prove successful in effecting use of the naval station facilities. That would make the Committee's work immensely worthwhile—and the members of the committee would deserve the undying thanks of a grateful community.