Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-10-23
CHINA NEEDS MILLIONS
TO RECLAIM SWAMPS
Red Cross Engineers Report on PROF
ect to Save Populace From
Floods and Famine.

Millions of acres of land could be re-
claimed to provide living for mil
lions more people and the millions OF
dollars of outlay would increase the
| land values from nothing to many MIL
lions, in the opinion of the board of en-
gineers sent to China by the American
Red Cross Society to devise ways and
means for preventing the famines
which force suffering on millions of in
nocent Chinese, leaving death and pes
thence in their wake, only to occur
again year after year.
But now that the Red Cross repre-
sentatives have shown the ways and
means to be taken to correct the evil, it
will require large expenditure OF
money-many millions-for which the
Chinese government could issue bonds.
The issuance of the bonds is all right.
but in this day of wars when money is
tight the wonder is expressed where the
money is coming from and where are
the buyers who will lay up their money
in these works.
The lands to be reclaimed are in the
Kianssu and Annui provinces, and to-
which, if reclaimed, could be raised
more than enough to provide the
poverty stricken inha bitants of these
provinces with food and good living.
=
year is increasingly eating into the
population.
Col. Sibert Heads Board.
The board which made the investiga
ton for the Red Cross is composed of
Col. William l.. Sibert, U. S. A, Engi-
neer Corps, chairman; A. +. Davis. chief
engineer of the reclamation service of
the United States, and Prof Meade of
the University of Michigan. Col. Sibert
has just returned to the city and laid
his report. which covers nearly fifty
typewriter pages, before the Red
Cross officials here.
The other members of the board have
not arrived, but it is understood that
the contents of the report Will be
thoroughly threshed out by the execu
tive committee of the national relief
board at a meeting to be held probably
next week.
The total cost of retaining these
lands which have been denuded of their
watersheds, resulting in heavy floods
one season of the year, leaving death
and destruction in their wake, and pc
RODS of extreme drought in the other
seasons, followed by famine and peSt1-
lence, would be approximately S3o,ooo.-
900, according to the estimate of the in
vestigating board. But what is that, 1t
is asked, compared with the fact that
the actual value of the land would be
raised from nothing to 900. and
whereas now it is nothing but a vast
waste covered with long. stretches of
swamp lands, and the engineering prof.
ects could be covered with agricultural
products?
Briefly. the engineers have mapped
out details for the reclamation of the
lands by providing a series of bikes,
dams and sideways and drains. The
swamp lands would be drained and the
rush of waters to waste during the
would be stored in big dams. to be re-
leased gradually during the periods OF
drought, something after the fashion
of the irrigation projects in the west
ern country of the United States.
Many attempts have been made to
get reliable information concerning the
needs of these Chinese, and the work
of the Red Cross board is the first upon
which the American relief organization
has had to work. 1t is the opinion of
the board that there is enough informa-
ton on hand now to begin the work.
and even maps and plans have been
provided. All that is now needed Is the
issuance of bonds; then the work can
go right ahead.