Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-05

to prevent these disa SterS--fOr they
can be prevented. And when / say
we" | do not except the members of
the United States Senate nor other
lawmakers of the land. l take my
share of the blame. We have failed
to recognize that flood prevention is
more than a. local problem; that it also
requires the full strength of National
action.
Our biggest flood problem is in the
Mississippi River Valley. But there
are acute flood problems in nearly all
the 80 States which lie in whole or in
part in the Mississippi River drainage
nasln. The Mississippi collects its wa
ters from an area of 1R40, 900 square
mlles-4l per cent of the mainland of
the United States. Altogether. more
than 1O0,0 streams send their waters
70 the Gulf of Mexico through the
Mississippi River.
A comprehensive program of flood
prevention will be one of the most
important matters to come before
the new Congress in December. To
Immediately call a special session FOR
mat purpose would be unavailint.
for the subject needs to be studied
ana plan formulated. The rroh-
iems involved are so huge that moth
ing out the fullest and most thorough
surveys can be used in their solution.
Not until the engineers have finished
tneIr study and settled upon COM
prehenslve plan is there need for
actlon on the part of Congress.
Urges Federal Aid Plan.
But Congress should be ready in
december to pass basic legislation
TO get the work under way. This
may take the form of a federal aid
plan, including all larger streams in
the agricultural west and all naviga-
Die rivers. In dealing with the ques-
ton OF flood prevention, Congress
should have the benefit of an i'm
partial study of all suggested solu-
lions, by the best engineering talent
IN the country. Such suggestions in
clude not only the headwater reser.
voir advocated by Mr.. Leighton, but
the creation of additional outlets on
the lower Mississippi, diversion of
present tributaries and deepening
and widening operations.
Meanwhile, the President NAV an
point national flood commission of
engineers and trained men to study
the entire question of river naviga-
ton, and flood control and protection.
counting on Congress and the public
to ratify his action.
A broad national policy will have to
be adopted. An adequate program
will have, to include the gathering
places of the waters, hundreds of little
tributaries, as well as the larger
rivers, reforestation of certain areas
and the impounding of waters in great
reservoirs for irrigation, reclamation
and power purposes. Such means
nave been used successfully in Eu.
rope.
Advocates Definite Plans.
Before the next Congress meets
there should be conference between
State and Federal officials to reach a
plan of nationwide cooperation for
flood prevention. In addition. a
definite engineering, legal, financial,
economic plan should be made ready
for Congress. A nationwide scheme
OF flood prevention is not impossible
to country that built the Panama
canal, when another country famous
for its engineers failed.
The cost of a comprehensive eff
fective flood prevention program.
promptly executed, may be high. but
1t cannot compare with our annual
DILL for flood relief and it might soon
be made to more than pay for itself.
AS source of employment much of
the expense would go out of one ma
tional pocket into another. ANYHOW
we snail have to tackle the job.