Evening star., 1927-05-24

care Of 100 to 100 famllies working
the land.
The fight against the spread OF dis
ease among the refugees is reported
eminently successful. With 1884
refugees, there are only 80 cases OF
typhoid, 80 of malaria and IA cases
of smallpox. The Red Cross Society
is vaccinating against smallpox 5000
persons daily, and against typhoid,
10 900 daily.
DIR. Read of the Red Cross says:
'The health campaign now being
waged V, ill prove a lasting benefit, as
it will constitute a long step toward
eradicating these two diseases from
an area which possibly suffers more
from them than any other section
of the civilized world"
The greatest item of loss is that of
live stock, estimated as approximately
40 900 head of work stock, with still
heavier loss of hogs and poultry.
X X X
The original call by President Cool
idge for a relief contribution from
private citizens, to amount to $4,000
900. being doubled, after Secretary
Hoover had inspected the flood area.
actually exceeds MAY 19) the sum OF
12,460,926, with additional contribu-
tions continuing to pour in. The Army
has supplied tents and field kitchens
at cost of $4,000, 900.
The clamor for special session or
Congress to consider the relief fund
and engineering problems has subsid-
ed, and is assumed to have been main
ly political rather than practical. In
1887, President Cleveland vetoed bill
appropriating $4,000 in the form Of
seeds for the relief of drought suf-
ferers of Texas. on the ground that
the Constitution did not authorize
such use of Federal funds. In his
veto measure, President Cleveland
said:
"A prevalent tendency to disregard
the limited mission and power of this
duty should, think, be steadfastly re-
sisted to the end that the lesson
should constantly be enforced that
though the people support the Govern
ment, the Government should not sup
port the people"
Neither Democrats nor all Republic
ans will wholly agree with that rule
so characteristically Clevelandish, but
nevertheless there is a most whole
some and generous outpouring of pri-
vate relief for fellow citizens. Since
1887 appropriations have been made
for Mississippi River flood relief ag-
gregating $3.S7S,627.
X X X
Whatever will be the action Of Con.
greSS in the matter of flood preven-
tion measures next Winter, it is a
foregOne conclusion that extensive and
thorough measures will be provided
for. The members of the river COM
mission are reticent as to what
methods they will recommend. but II
fhnSn 70
mission that it will be general
Strengthening and betterment of the
levee system.
There is much misinformation
among laymen as to the engineer
ing feats, among the errors cited be-
ing:
O That the bed of the river has
risen because of levees and that the
continuance of levees will be an in
termlnable race between the river bed
and the top Of the levees. This is not
true, say the engineers. Leyees do
not tend to cause the river bed to
clog up and rise. but. on the contrary,
the leveeS increase the current. caus-
ing securing of the river bed.
t2) That the rived bed is higher than
the average level of the surrounding
country. This is not true anywhere.
X
Inc present Hood control act was
passed in 1917, covering the Missis.
sippi and Ohio and Sacramento Riv-
ers. 1t carried an appropriation Of
s4o, 100000 for the Mississippi River
but provided that none
or 1t should be used for levees until
the commission was assured that local
protected by the levees would
contribute an equal amount for such
construction or repairs. In March,
l9=3, the law was amended permit
tlng the commission to build levees
on rivers flowing into the Mississippi 4
up to the level of flood waters on the
and adding for that pur-
pose S10,000.000 a year for six wears.
Inc total of Federal and con.
FUNDS expended on Missis.
sippi River flood prevention in the
ast 4S years, since the work was put
INTO the hands of a commission, has
been S176.7S2. .053. Earlier work was
iirected to improvement of naviga-
ION. but now the aim is pre-
sminently flood prevention.
Engineers speak sIightingly OF
projects of reservOirsFa at river sources
% combine both flood prevention and
power production as utterly incom-
oat1ble and impracticable; also the
dea OF depending on reforestation of
ne vast prairies as being impossible.
The present flood came from rainfall y
lpon the prairie areas south of Ne
'raska, but the prairies (now occupied
" farms and cities) could never be re-
crested.
icoDsrishs. 1pa7. b. PAM '. coiiins.,