Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-13
SECRETARY CITES
WATERWAY VALUE
Inland Stream Development
Boon to Middle West,
Davis Declares.

BY the Associated Press.
ST. LOUIS, Mo, February 12.--De
velopment Of inland waterways and
what it means particularly to the
Middle West in permanent farm renei
was described here tonight by Dwight
r. Davis. Secretary of War, at the
Lincoln day banquet of the Young
Republicans of Missouri.
Secretary Davis made his nrst po'
iitical talk here about 20 years ago
before the Young Republicans OF Mis-
souri,. and his return tonight was as
a member in the cabinet OF President
Coolidge.
In keeping with the occasion MI
Davis said it was "our duty to per
petuate in the conduct of our Govern
ment the human sympathy, the
honesty of action and the fearless
courage of Lincoln.
I'VE must adopt constructive, for
ward looking. progressive policy, ne
asserted. rather than party platitudes
and petty personalities. to attract
those whom we most need to interest
the young men and women OF today
Aiding Farm Problems.
az am in a position to know the con
structive assistance we are giving the
farmer is solving one of the chief fac
tors of his problem-that of getting
cheap and adequate transportation ia
cilities The farm is the backbone OF
a nations strength, and this country
is no exception. 1t is a well estab
lished fact that water-borne freight
goes cheaper than all other freight"
Mr.. Davis related that the Govern
ment is spending about SOS 100000 for
maintenance and development OF
waterways and for flood control and
is determined to help the farmer and
also the consumer, who will each
benefit by cheap and accessible trans
rortation facilities.
Last year, Mr. Davis explained, the
farmers, who shipped about 100000
bushels of grain from ST. Louis over
the Federal barge line. added pront
of about 4 cents bushel by virtue OF
the cheaper rates.
Il could go on giving you specific
instances of how the Coolidge admin
istration's waterways policy has put
millions of dollars into the pockets OF
the farmers in this and other States.
I have been told by people who are
in a position to know that the hlgher
price levels established by the ship
ment of these 100000 bushels IN
fiuenced the price Of the 100000. 000
bushels raised in this territory, so that
the growers got from l to cents
more a bushel for their wheat than
they would have otherwise received.
I'm other words, if this statement
is true, the grain growers, as group
pocketed about S7,000,00O more for
their wheat than they would have had
not the Federal barge line been III
operation"
Relating to War Department actlvl
ties the Secretary brought attention te
the splendid work for national pre-
paredness now being done in the Ma
tional Guard and the Reserve Corps.
Cites Preparedness Work.
While not a militaristic Nation
maintenance of an army and navy
sufficient to defend ourselves against
possible aggressors" is maintained
and the Nation is not breeding mill
tarists. but is instructing them in mill
tary defense SO they could answer
should it be necessary. he added.
The development of good citizens
and loyal Americans is the primary
purpose of military training, he as
serted, adding that the policy or the
Coolidge administration has been tt
prepare against war-not to prepare
for war"
He described Lincoln as a trail
blazer of humanity. and said there j:
an urgent need to broaden the tran:
he blazed into the highways OF peace
progress and prosperity. This can b'
done, he asserted, by enlisting the en-
thusiastic and pioneer spirit OF youth