Evening star., 1927-05-29
HOOVER OPPOSES DELAY
in SURE FLOOD REMEDY
Warns Against Long Investigations,
n When Engineers and Planters Agree
Levees Are Best.

piles Of correspondence on the sub
ject, and in sporadic cases themselves
have become interested in some of the
proposals.
Senator Wesley Jones of Washing
ton, chairman of the Senate com.
mittee on commerce which handles
flood control measures before that
body. has hit upon plan for a sec.
ond line of levee defenseS," some dis
tance back of the present levees, as a
means for catching the overflow. He
states quite frankly that he has not
inquired into the engineering phases
of such a system and offers the sug-
gestion merely for what it is worth.
Senator Jones and several other
members of his committee are EN-
ton tour. during which they will
have an opportunity TO see for them
selves how futile are some of the
we'll intended proposals.
Agree on Levees.
Secretary Hoover. Gen. Jadwin and
other Government engineers are
firmly agreed on the point that
levees are the sole hope of the
Mississippi Valley and its millions of
inhabitants and thousands of square
miles of alluvial territory. There are
strong indications that proponents of
spillways near New Orleans may re.
ceive favorable consideration under
certain notifications of the levee sys'
tenn. The Crescent City, already
more than a dozen feet below river
level under normal conditions, does
not want it's levees raised any high
err, because of the almost insurmount-
able dock complications which would
be involved. The engineers have eX-
amined the situation at New Orlens
very carefully and both Secretary
Hoover and Secretary Davis have
shown keen interest in the spillway
propositions.
The spilIways would be constructed
several miles above New Orleans ana
would form gateways for the release
of flood waters in time of such an
emergency as now presents itself.
The released water would drain
through the lakes to the south into
the Gulf of Mexico. The artificial
crevasse dynamited in the levee Is
miles below New Orleans is an adapta-
ton of the spillway idea that is
expected to save the city from what
Hoover has described as "a monu-
mental catastrophe.
want better LeteeS.
The sooner the American people in
general and members of Congress in
particular get won over to the levee
program, the sooner will the land OF
cotton be freed from it's constant fear
of Spring floods, Federal engineers
believe. Higher, wider and more sub
stantial levees, designed and built
from the lessons learned in this. the
Mississippi's greatest rampage, VIII
protect Dixie for all time, it is as
serted. America will have to pay out
millions upon millions OF dollars in
order to establish these highly es-
sential bulwarks with q safety fac
tor" large enough to meet any future
crisis.
With all the many and varied pro-
posals now being made, however, Sec
retary Hoover entertains grave fears
that much valuable time may be
wasted in investigation of wild
schemes which are intriguing to lay
men, but without merit to engineers.
The task of devising a remedy is one
for highly trained scientific men, it
is pointed out, and such experts ap.
pear to have satisfied themselves that
levees are the lone best bet" For
congressional or other commissions to
attempt to go deeply into any other
plan would seem to be useless ex-
penditure of time and money, it Is
held.
Farmers Are United.
Farmers and planters of the valley
already are said to be unitedly behind
the movement for stronger levees.
They look with disfavor on any other
plan for Harvesting the mighty river
which flows past their crop lands or,
in the present flood, over them.
Only Congress remains to be con-
vinced, it appears. Congress has
mania for Investigations, however,
and it is felt in the South that unless
it is converted to the levee idea with
dispatch, considerable delay may be
occasioned by long-drawn-out hearings
granted advocates Of wholly ineffective
schemes.
It was this fear of undue procrasti-
nation in approving "the one practi.
cal, feasible and economic solution"
viz, Ievees, that no doubt inspired Sec
retary Hoover to issue the warning
quoted at the beginning Of this article.
The next few months will fulfill or
dispel the Commerce Secretary's
qualms.