The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1914-07-01


mately to prosecute reclamation and
conservancy scheme which will cost
approximately $20,OO0,OOO to be paid
by China. The present investigation
will entail an expenditure by the Red
Cross and China Of about $4,000.
The members OF this board are:
Lieut.. Col. William l.. Bibert, En-
gineer Corps, United States Army,
builder of the Gatun locks and dam
Of the Panama Canal, chairman; Ar
thur Powell Davis, Chief Engineer of
the United States Reclamation Ser
vice, and Daniel Webster Mead, Pro-
fessor OF Hydraulic Engineering in
the University Of Wisconsin. Charles
Davis jameson, the Red Cross engi-
neer who made the preliminary sur
vey, Is accompanying the board as
general advisory engineer. Several as
sistant engineers, including the bril-
liant young Chinese Sylvanus II. Sucn,
are with the conscrvancy board.
Miss Boardman's article, under the
caption, The Proof OF Friendship"
says in part
THE great master, Confuciusy was
once asked by one of his disciples, Is
there one word that may serve as
rule of practise for all ones lifc?'
The master replied, is not "Recipro-
city" such a word? Another time the
same master said, "At first it was my
way to hear Il mans words and givo
him crcLit for his conduct Now
hear mans word and look at his
conduct
Wise, indeed, was old Confucius.
In acts, not words, is to be found the
proof of true friendship. The great
opportunity to do an act OF friendship
for China, an act Of humanity for
her people, has been offered by the
Chinese Government to the United
States through the medium Of the
American Red Cross. This opportuni-
| ty lies in the line of being Of assist
ance in the work of flood prevention
| In the central part Of China, thus do
| ing away with the untold sufferings
of hundreds Of thousands of famine
victims; and, furthermore, of reclaim
ing q large amount of rich agricultur-
al land in a district where every
square foot is needed for food pro
duction."
Speaking Of the general plan, Miss
BoardmaE continues:
"a dam has been created by the
high dikes of the Grand Canal. Sew
eral large shallow lakes, some back
ing directly up against the Canal
dikes, have thus resulted on the west
side from the back waters of the Huai
River, which flowing first into the
Hungtse Lake, have not sufficient out
let to the sea. Much Of the land not
actually under the water in the lakes
is still Of useless, marshy charac-
ter. At times of heavy rainfall, these
shallow lakes and the swamp LAND
cannot take care Of the water, which
finding no adequate outlet to the sea
spreads out for hundreds Of square
running the crops and reducing tho
large population to utter dcstitutior
and starvation. The plan of the RED
Cross Engineer, Mr.. Jameson, is tc
carry the water Of the Huai river and
the Hungtse Lake through a well
built channel across the Grand Cana
into the old, now unoccupied, bed OF
the Yellow River, with its high dikes
to shut off this water from the lakes
to the southeast; and to drain these
lakes by another channel into the
Yangtsc River. This plan, if feasible
as the land elevation and other topo.
graphical features indicate, will not
only prevent all foods save those
caused by absolutely abnormal rain
Falls, but will reclaim million
acres, and improve probably about
nine millions more,
The Ye and the Shu, other rivers
father north, and improvements on
the Grand Canal, are included in the
Conservancy plans.
The first step in this important
work Is the sending OF a board Of cmi-
nent engineers to China to study Mr..
Jamcson's plan, report upon its value
and practicability and make such