The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-03-24
President Of River and Harbors Con-
gress in Letter to Mayor Lotion,
Says Measure Has Been
Passed.
WOULD BRING UP AGAIN
Wants Public Sentiment Created so
That Measure Will Come up at
Extra Session Of
Congress.

! A letter has been received by
Mayor Ed. S. Lotion from the presi-
/, dent of the National Rivers and Har-
bors congress concerning the failure
of the United States congress to APP
propriate money for river and harbor
work this year. The Rivers and Har-
bors congress is trying to create
public sentiment in favor of congress
taking up the matter. when the extra
session meets April 2. Joseph E..
Ransdell, the president of the society
who Is also U. S. senator from Louisi-
ana, is anxious that citizens all over
the country ask their congressman
| to support the measure. AS Keokuk
is interested in funds for river work.
Mr.. RansdelPs letter, in part, fol
lows:
Work Will BE Stopped.
"If there ever was time when the
friends of waterways should bestir
themselves, that time is now. Not
dollar has yet been appropriated
harbors during the coming fiscal
year and, unless the needed funds
are provided at the extra session OF
iCOA6ICSS, p4oCI1CoAAy Gal WIN VI lille
character must shortly be stopped
rivers of the country, great and
small, hundreds of dredges will be
stilled, thousands of boats and barges
will be tied up to the banks anc
tens OF thousands of men will be
discharged.
ut Is my deliberate judgment that
H. LII
ever framed, or one more free from
items justly subject to criticism, thar
the one which recently failed to re
ceive consideration in the senate. II
provided for many important pro
! jects in all parts of the country, in
GLIDING ninety new ones. Yet five
senators-Kenyon of Iowa, Sherman
Of illinois. Watson of Indiana. Hard
ing of Ohio and Jones of Washing
ton-signed minority report oppos
ing this bill and supported a. substi
tute which would have completely
revolutionized the method Of MAKING
river and haroor appropriations
,, when a general strike on all the
| railways Of the country was threat
| ened last summer it was suddenly
realized that, because II leads out
from our greatest center of the iron
and steel industry, dependable
| channel in the Ohio river would be
OF the greatest value to our navy.
| In time of war the existence or non
existence Of such channel might
readily prove to be the factor which
would decide whether our flag should
/ float in victory or be lowered in de-
| feat.
Lessons Of War.
What is true of the Ohio Is true
| in greater or less degree of all the
other rivers of the United States
No lesson has been more plainly
taught by the war in Europe than
this-that. the larger are the army
and the navy which nation has, the
sooner do they become impotent,
either for offense or defense. unless
they are backed by an industrial de.
velopment which can produce the
enormous amount Of supplies and
munitions which are required, and by
| transportation facilities which can
deliver those supplies and munitions
as fast as they are needed.
| 1--WE ought to begin at once the
work of creating national system
| Of waterways and harbors and push
that work to completion at the earli-
est possible time. There ought to
he rivers and harbors bill passed
before the present fiscal year has
closed But. # we are to judge the
future by the past, nothing is more
certain han that, whenever another
river and h.rhor bill shall be pre-
sented, it will meet with violent
opposition
Before the extra session convenes
on April 2. I urge all friends of
waterways to call upon their senators
and representatives to support appro-
priations for the rivers and harbors
which are essential to our national
prosperity and may be vital to our
national safety"