The Washington herald., 1909-07-25
Waterway Planned to Unite
Rivers Of South.
WOMEN AND MEN ORGANIZE
they Seek to Interest Nation I'm Inn
prOvement of Natural Streams.
Project starts Toward Inland Route
Connecting Rio GrRnde and the
MississippI-A Federal Enterprise.


In the Industrial development OF foreign
nations, and is one OF the Oldest of arts.
In China, where 4O0,OOO.OOO people inhabit
an area no larger than the Mississippi
Valley the country is covered by a fret
work OF shallow canals which connects
every town with the ocean.
France is not so large as the State OF
Texas, and yet she has spent in the last
100 years over S7O0OOO.OOO on the improve
ment Of her rivers and harbors.
In Belgium and Holland, which rank
among the worlds greatest manufactur-
ing countries. a ton OF raw material may
be transported by water 1000 miles for
81. and as a single investment England
has spent SS5.OO00O0 on the Manchester
ship canal in order 10 bring The sea
thirty-fve miles.
Such expenditure I'm countries limited
in area and water resources have made
these countries world powers in industry
and commerce. Yet the United States.
which exceeds these nations many times
in area and in waterways. has not ex-
pended in all its history on waterways
Improvement so much as has the small
Southern Rivers Lead.
OF the plans for the Improvement OF
waterways now before the Inland We
terways Commission Of the United
States the largest and most important
are those which concern Southern riv-
ers, and which II carried out by the
government will mean millions of dol
lars annually to the South. in the saw
Ing or freight rates. the increase Of COM
merce, the inception OF new industries.
and the populating OF her cities.
Broadly outlined, these contemplated
improvements make the Mississippi River
the center OF operation, deepening that
river so as 10 provide a continuous water
route from the Great Lakes % the Gulf
pf Mexico. and connecting smaller rivers
whenever possible with this great central
channel Further plans provide for a
continuous inland canal, partly natural
and partly artificial. which shall be a
base line over 1900 miles long tying To-
gether all the large rivers that drain into
the Gulf Of Mexico and the Atlantic
Ocean.
The plan. OF this great canal Is interest
ingly set forth by Mr.. II. L. Gueydan,
vice president for Louisiana OF the Inter
state Inland Waterways League:
plated by our interstate league starts at
the Rio Grande, and as II proceeds north
and eastward along the Gulf coast It
picks up several river strands Of Texas
and Louisiana and ties them as a whole
to the great Mississippi at or near New
Orleans
Eastward It continues its Journey.
making p common system Of rivers. large
and small, that flow into the Gulf. TIL
It reaches Florida, a part OF which it
lops or, thereby saving hundreds OF miles
10 the coastwise lght-draft traffic. Now
Il is coasting along the Atlantic in a
northeasterly direction, still tying rivers
10 the Father Of Waters and taking a
warm inland Gulf stream 10 the cooler
shores Of the Atlantic"
First Section Under Way.
An inland waterway which is 20 con-
meet the Rio Grande with the Mississippi
River is now in course OF construction.
and the Mississippi Atlantic Inland
Waterway Association, organized in MAY.
1908 by prominent business men Of the
South. with Senator Fletcher. Of Florida,
as president, has secured an order for a
survey by the United States Corps OF En-
gineers OF the route from New Orleans TO
Apalachicola, Fla.
The distance between the mouth Of the
Mississippi River and the Atlantic ocean
Is 500 miles, and to connect the two about
10 miles OF canal would have to be dug.
II the proposed canal. running from the
Rio Grande 10 the Mississippi, hence to
the Atlantic Ocean and up the Atlantic
coast. becomes a reality. the South will
possess the greatest system of water
transportation routes IN the world.
The Southern States. with their 10000
miles Of navigable waterways leading 70
thirty-one magnificent deep water out
let's on the coast, and with their DO
tential 100000 horsepower water power
are richer in water resources than any
other section OF the country.
II is only through the awakening Of
the Southern people. however. to a real
lzation Of this vast water wealth. and by
the demand OF public sentiment for the
Improvement Of these waterways. that
Southern rivers and harbors will receive
their rightful share OF attention when
Congress appr0priates funds for the na-
tional waterways Improvement. Ii is
estimated that the cost OF improving the
rivers of America will be about $500 600 0O0
for which Congress has been urged to
Issue $000O0.000 worth OF bonds annually
FOR five years.
An Influential Agency.
The agency which has been most in
fuential IN promoting an interest in
waterways Improvement In the United
states has been the Rivers and Harbors
Congress. OF which Representative Joseph
Randsell Of Louisiana. IS president. This
organization represents no particular sec
ton Of the country. but is the represent
ative of any section which advocates the
Improvement Of n river, lake. harbor or
canal OF sufficient Importance to Justify
the expenditure Of government funds.
The annual conventions OF the Congress
az Washington are attended by delegates
from every State and Territory in the
Union, ard by thousands OF men and
women interested IN the development OF
American waterways. The organization.
through its publicity bureau. is constantly
disseminating knowledge Of and arousing
Interest in our long neglected rivers and
harbors.
In this movement for the public veal
the interest Of the women Of the country
has also been enlisted. and the Womsn's s.
Rivers and Earbovs Congress is proving
an important factor IN creating and in
forming public sentiment. This body. OF
which a Shreveport La.) woman, Mrs.
Hoyle Tomkies, is president. was organ
lied year ago at the suggestion Of Rep