Evening star., 1927-06-12
HOOVER D|SBANDS
BIG RESCUE ARMY
Orders DemcbiIization OF
Volunteer Fleet of Flood
fe-Saving Craft.
sy a stan Correspondent of The Star.

BATON ROUGE, La, June 1.-THE
beginning of the end of America $
greatest flood catastrophe is at hand.
The finale" was heralded here to-
day, when Secretary Hoover issued
formal orders for the rehabilitation OF
tAN Mississippi Valley rescue forces,
q valiant peace.time army which has
placed in relief camps nearly half
million refugees from flooded areas in
Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi and
Louisiana since the first big overflow
last April.
simultaneously with the Secretary's
announcement was the retirement of
former Gov. John NJ. Parker as head
Of Louisiana's great rescue organiza-
ton, which, like the other heroic
groups, embraced the Army, Navy,
Coast Guard, light house service and
State and local agencies.
Actual disbanding of these voltln.
teer life savers had begun several
weeks ago in sections where their
services no longer were needed, but
not until today was 1t deemed advis-
able officially to demobiliZe the remain
ing groups.
Rescue Work Completed.
"The first big job of this emergency
is DONE" Hoover told this correspon-
dent tonight. I'VE have completed
the all important initial task of res
cuing people from their flooded homes
and carrying them to places Of safety.
This gigantic work, accomplished with
but one loss OF life directly involved
in the exodus, will go down in history
as truly epochal achievement.
1.-THE credit for successful compile
tion of this hazardous undertaking
must go to th. brave men of the va
rious co-ordinated agencies who have
risked their lives and sacrificed sleep
and food in order to remove men,
women and children of the stricken
valley to refugee centers.
THE Army with its engineer boats,
the Navy with it's seacraft and planes,
the Coast Guard with it's fast fleet of
power boats, the lighthouse service
with it's lighthouse tenders, the vari-
Gus official and private river steamers
and motor boats, in fact. all of the
groups that have worked side by side
on the front lines of the disaster area
have been rewarded in the knowledge
that they have prevented great loss of
lif and greater property damage by |
their unselfish efforts"
Fleet Leaves Flood Area.
With PRONUNCIATION of the demobiliza
tion orders there began general move |
ment Of rescue craft from Louisiana |
waters. Rum-runners Of the Coast |
Guard Will resume their regular duties |
in the gulf and ocean, and they do |
Say down here that they will find |
plenty Of rum-chasing to do when they |
get back to home waters. Prices Of |
bootleg liquor in New Orleans are said |
to have dropped to a third OF former |
quotations since concentration Of rum |
chasers in the flood sections.
Army boats, including in this cate |
CORY ships of the Mississippi River |
Commission, will take UP their for
mer duties where they dropped them, |
some weeks back. Army and Naval |
aviators who had done rescue and |
scout service In remote parts OF the |
inland seas and overfiowing bayous |
will resume their more prosaic routine |
at their usual posts. The Commerce |
Department boats will see to their |
lighthouse tending, and the river
packets, tugs, barges, launches, row.
boats and other large and small craft
of nondescript character will go their
ways. their shippers content in hav- |
ing had share in the stupendous |
rescue program.
This does not mean, however, that |
needed in the path Of the June rise |
in the Mississippi, Arkansas, Atcha. |
falaya and other rivers. Removal Of |
Families from their recently occupied |
homes is going on daily in parts of |
Louisiana, Arkansas and other States |
affected by the new flood, but local |
rescue forces will be able to handle |
the new and lesser emergency. Hoover |
feels there is no further need for a |
general rescue organization, such as |
was set up SO hastily, but with such |
astounding efficiency. in April.
:. First Rift in Clouds.
!. Formal discharge Of the great re-
lief fleet is expected to bolster the
swavering morale of the entire valley.
1t constitutes the first rift in the black
clouds which hang over the alluvial
basin as result of its greatest
disaster, and is to its people definite
harbinger Of better days to come. It
il the turning point, they hope.
Z, Hoover, in the face Of the pessi.
mistic economic outlook emissions for
the South an era Of remarkable devel-
opment.
:, "If you can but hold up through
this calamity, you folks Of the South
will venture on a threshold Of un-
precedented prosperity" Hoover de-
clares to each gathering Of farmers
and planters who seek his advice.
"You have the finest soil in the
world down here, with vast potential
possibilities from an agricultural
standpoint. One thing, and one thing
only. thus far has prevented the val
ley from making better progress. That
is the feeling Of insecurity which is
prevalent as result OF the floods to
which your farms have been repeated
ly subjected.
Predicts Permanent Relief.
81 have no doubt that within the
next few months there will be worked
out a plan of flood control that will
permanently relieve the Mississippi
Valley Of all fear of future disaster.
am convinced the American people
are going to see that this plan is put
into effect at once.
when this insecurity factor IL re.
moved, look for the birth Of new
South, development which will at
tract the interest and support of the
outside world"
Hoover, Vice Chairman Fieser Of
the Red Cross. Robert z. Body. in
charge OF relief activities in the strick-
en- States; Col. w. H. Sullivan. chair
man OF the Louisiana Rehabilitation
Commission, and other flood officials
conferred here today with representa-
ttves from half a dozen parishes in
the sugar district. Plans for raising
some sort of money crop" before
Fall were discussed. State Commis-
sioner OF Agriculture Harry Wilson
recommended soy beans as the zone
best bet" providing the water recedes
before August.
Health and sanitary conditions in
the State are growing more serious
daily, and Fieser announced today
that the Red Cross has decided 1t will
be advisable to extend sanitary aid
to the homes Of the flood victims when
they are able to return. Drinking
water usually is obtained in large
wooden cisterns alongside the houses,
where rainwater is caught and stored