Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-28
PRESIDENT APPROVES
ENDORSES THE PROPOSED PRO
lection OF THE LoWLANDS.
Judge Blanchard Shows That the Gov
eminent Has Entered on the Policy
of Preventing Floods.

At yesterdays convention of the Inter
state Mississippi River Improvement and
Levee Association at New Orleans the fol-
lowing letter from President Roosevelt was
read by Chairman Parker:
My Dear Mr.. Parker: Permit me- through
you, to express my very great interest in
the work of the interstate levee convention.
Exactly as 1 have taken keen interest in
irrigation in the arid regions, so l feel that
the movement for thoroughly protecting the
Mississippi lowlandS by levees Is one of i'm
portance to the whole country no less than
to the people Immediately adjoining the
great river. I wish all success to your con-
vention. and shall follow it's proceedings
with close attention.
Sincerely yours
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
Resolutions of thanks to the President
were adopted
At the opening of the night session
Judge N. c. Blanchard of Louisiana spoke,
urging government control of the levees.
Judge Blanchard's Address.
Judge Blanchard said in part:
I'm order to secure to the nation the con-
troll of the Mississippi river and its tribu-
taries, President Jefferson had negotiated
the purchase of the vast territory extend
ing from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific
ocean and the British possessions on the
northwest. One of the grandest of our
material national interests. one that is
national in the largest material sense of
that word, is the great river and its tribu-
taries. The river itself is the most gigantic
single natural feature of our continent. 1t
presents problems that the craftsmanship
of America has sought to grapple with and
must continue to grapple with. 1t is too
vast for any state to handle, too much for
any authority less than that of the nation
itself to manage. individuals and separate
states can no, more handle the question of
the prevention of foundations than they
can supervision and effectuation of syste-
matte works of improvement of the navi-
cation of the river. The river is the prop
erty of the nation. It's jurisdiction is para
mount over its waters. The Improvement
of it's navigation and the construction of
works needful to restrain it's floods wi hin
it's channel are the province of the national
government. Congress, therefore, owes n
two-fold duty to the river, and to the
American people in respect to the river,
viz: To so improve its naviga ton and keen
it improved as to make the river a great
highway of commerce, free to the world;
and, second, to so harness its waters that
they shall not remain a terror and a de-
mon of destruction to those who live in its
lower valley.
Prevention of Floods.
Prior to 1892 all the appropriations made
by Congress for the river were hampered
with the restriction that the river commits
sion in charge of the rivers interest should
not expend any of the money for the sake
of protecting the valley from the floods,
that none of it should be used in levee con-
struction and repair except where in the
judgment of the commission levee construc-
ton on the banks was a necessary adjunct
to channel Improvement.
But in the great river and harbor bill of
1892. which l. as chairman of the river and
harbor committee of the house, reported all
this was changed. That bill authorized the
expenditure of ten millions of dollars in
four instalments on the river from Cairo to
the gulf to be used for the twofold purpose
of improving its navigation and preventing
it's floods. 1t was the first outright levee bill
and incalculable good resulted from it. 1t
was followed by a similar bill four years
later appropriating nine millions of dollars
under the same terms.
But Congress should go yet further. 1t
should assume complete charge of the river
to prevent its floods as well as keep its
navigation improved. The purpose of this
great convention is to voice the sentiment
of the American people in this behalf. All
sections of the country are alike interested
in the question. for what harms the valley
of the Mississippi river affects disastrously
every business interest throughout the
country
What are the nineteen millions in the
bills mentioned, TO TINS great country! Inc
people of the little country of Holland in
beat ting back the North sea and reScunS
their country from the dominion of the wa
ters expended more than a billion five hun
bred millions of dollars and they were less
than four millions of people.
Secretary Wilson Sympathetic.
Secretary of Agriculture James Wilson,
following Judge Blanchard. was welcomed
with great cordially. He said the ques-
ton of government control Of the levees
was a new one to him. 1t interested him
deeply, and the people of the lower valley
had his deepest sympathy in pursuing it.
Representative J. E. Ransdell followed
Secretary Wilson. When Mr. Ransdell
concluded. President Scott announced the
committee on resolutions. with Gen. T. c.
Catchings of Mississippi chairman. and
members from the following states repre-
sented in the convention Indiana, Ohio,
Pennsylvania. Illinois. Mississippi Missouri,
Arkansas, Tennessee. Kentucky. New York,
Alabama. California. Texas. Georgia and
Louisiana.