Evening star., 1927-05-18
DOOR STILL OPEN
TO EXTRA SESSION
Congress May Be Called Lat
er for Flood Relief,
Some Think.
BY ROBERT T. SMALL.


Government officials generally sup
port President Coolidge in his decision
-ot to call a special session of Con-
gress at rnis time 20 deal with the
relief of the fiood-covered Mississippi
Valley. This is because no one knows
as vet the extent of the danger or just
how the ultimate relief problem must
be dealt with.
The President has not closed the
doors TO q call for special session
later In the Fall, when the final re-
rurts of the various agencies in the
flood region viii he in hand and some
definite program may be mapped out.
y The President does not want Congress
saon his hands all Summer. and feels
sAthat the temporary needs of the ftood
s@sufferers are being properly taken
Scare of. ,.o,
q Flood disasters are far more diff
sScult 10 deal with than any other klnu'
@especially such a slow-moVlng catas-
%trophe as that which has overtaKeh
&4he people in the Mississippi Na!ley
- states from Missouri and Kentucky to
louisiana.
Wind Destroys Quickly.
Tn the case of a tornado, cyclone or
Hurricane, the damage is quickly
Ayr0ught and the work OF rehapliltd-
4~tion can start almost at once. WIN
Ia great confiagration the situation is
1,,1,,1rh The same. 4 swiftly moving
FLOOD, caused by the breaking of
adam is also comparatively simple 10
y deal with. for the water quickly uls-
appears.
& In the case of the Mississippi. whose
S1nuddv waters are rolling over a COM
@sparatively fiat country, it is different.
%Secretary Hoover exclaimed a feW
ETlays ago to the writer:
s. '"This is the slowest-moving creep
1ng paralysis 1 have ever encountered
in my life.
Little to Be Done.
II will he weeks and weeks yet De-
fore the food waters of the big river
recede sufficiently TO permit the vast
majority of the 200.0 900 refugees TO re.
turn to their homes or to make use Oh
their lands. All that can be done 1or
these people at this time is TO feeu
fhem. house them in temporary quar-
ters or tents, and to keep them mt
,hvsicalIy. so far as it is possible 10
do so.
No one knows yet when the flood
crest will pass New Orleans and thus
leave all danger behind. 1t is difficult
TO keep track Of the crest. 1t is con-
stantly getting lost. This is due 70
the breaks in the levee system. Inc
crest will leave the river at one spot
and come back at another. 1t has
been the worst and therefore the most
difficult food to gauge in the entire
known history of the big river. Inc
levees which are supposed to keep the
water in the stream act as dams
against the water getting back into
the river once it is out.
Relief Resources Strained.
The catastrophe is of such an en-
during nature that the resources OF
the relief agencies are bound to be
strained to the limit, but Secretary
Hoover and President Coolidge seem
convinced the American people VIII
continue to contribute to the Red
Cross the necessary funds. Already
the fund raised for this relief work
is one of the greatest in the peace
time history of the Red Cross orgam-
cation. -,
Mr.. Hoover has busted himself with
the organization of a financing cor
poration to extend credit TO tne
farmers and merchants when the
s.water subsidies. He and the Presi-
dent appear to think the people will
xprefer to get assistance through TINS
= credit scheme rather than accept
sdirect aid from the Government. In
! che case Of families who have lost
their all. the Red Cross will assist
Sin their rehabilitation. The plan at
sfs1e present is to help only those who,
: in the face of complete loss, cannot
Shelp themselves.
Work Growing Difficult.
Meantime, the relief work along
1the Mississippi is going to grow more
sand more difficult. When the water
ssudsides, work by boats will be I'M
suossible. An enormous fleet is oper-
satins at present distributing food and
smedical supplies. With the sub
.sidence of the waters a great muddy
Ewaste will have TO be dealt With
aRoads in many counties are known
Ito have been lost completely. what
smodes of transportation will be
savailable through the deep and slip
spery mud can only be conjectured at
spresent.
1 'rhe real tragedy Of the flood re-
smains 10 be revealed. Also the real
stest of the relief organization re-
smains to be made.
Copyright. 1877