Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-10
FLOOD REFUGEES
DISREGARD DANGER
Hoover Issues "Hard. Boiled
Disease Warning Against
Return to Homes.
BY REX COLLIER,
Staff Correspondent of The Star.

NEW ORLEANS, La, June 10.-
There's no place like home, even
though it is a dingy cabin almost
af1oat in lake of stagnant flood
water. Louisiana's flood refugees
| didn't want to leave their homes in
the first place. and now many of them
are giving relief officials "the slip"
and returning to their box-like houses
in the flood-washed sugar bowl"
This new development, just brought
to the attention of Secretary Hoover
and Vice Chairman Fieser of the Red
Cross, resulted today in issuance of
strict orders against reoccupation of
| flooded homes because of serious
health problems involved.
These folks are just like the rest
Of u.s." Secretary Hoover announced
in explanation of the ruling. 'They
want nothing so much as their homes.
But to let them go back now, with
their cisterns polluted and sanitation
bad, is unthinkable.
"Be Hard.BoiIed," Says Hoover.
We've just got to be hard-boiled in
| this matter, not only for their own
sake. but for the sake of all the others
who would be threatened by an epi.
demic in the flood area. Keep them in
the refugee camps until this water
passes on. no matter how long it
takes or how much it COSTS
1t looks as though it's going to
take a long, long time for Louisiana
to free herself from the succession
of floods which have swept down on
nvn|
which still continue to engulf many
of her sugar cane plantations,
lumber mills, railroads, villages and
other property in the Atchafalaya
Basin.
Your problems here are worse
than any in the entire Missis-
sippi Valley" Secretary Hoover de-
clared yesterday to relief commit
tees from st. Landry, Lafayette,
Iberia, st. Martin and st. Mary
Parishes at Lafayette. You are still
in the first stages Of the program
of flood relief, which we have mapped
out. The follow-up steps of rehabili-
tation and reconstruction are yet to
come"
Considers Special Problems.
Today Secretary Hoover was in
conference with officials at national
relief headquarters of the Red Cross
with view to considering Louisi-
ana's special problems and working
out a future program Of aid to meet
her growing needs. Tomorrow he
will hear reports from other par
ishes at, a conference in Baton
Rouge.
Secretary Hoover is not depend
ing solely on reports of parish re-
lief workers for his understanding
of flood problems. Yesterday he sat
on the rear platform of his private
car and rode through the Atchafalaya
Valley over Southern Pacific Rail-
road tracks, being raised IS inches
above their former level to escape
the new rise in the valley. Hun
dreds Of colored laborers were work.
ing up to their knees in water on
the task-designed to save New Or
leans from being cut off from direct
rail connection with the West. The
tracks are being lacked UP to the |
new level and supplied with a
foundation Of wooden altitude. Water |
is within a few inches of the rails at |
several points about hundred miles |
northwest of New Orleans. Little |
hope was held out that the track |
would not be covered in spots, but |
trains will continue to navigate" as |
long as possible.
View Morgan City.
The flooded town of Morgan City, |
at the mouth of the Atchafalaya, was |
viewed en-, route here last evening. |
This little village, in the heart of the |
bayou country, has been under water |
so. long that the inhabitants have |
gotten over their first excitement and |
r,,.o nhr,.ak AhnlNa hue