Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-12-04
DAVIS URGES
FINANCING OF
FLOOD WORKS
Head of War Depart
ment Calls Attention
OF President to De-
f~iciencies


WASHINGTON, d. c., Dee. 3.-tR
~-An immediate urgent deficiency
appropriation Of $7,000,0O0 to cover
flood emergency expenditures IN the
Mississippi Valley was urged today
bv Secretary Davis OF the War De-
partment in his annual report 10
President Coolidge. That sum, the
secretary said, was needed 70 re-
place S2,000,0 900 borrowed from the
unallotted portion Of the general
river aud harbor appropriation to
complete closing in the
levees and also 20 restore IS, 900. 600
In the Mississippi special fund laid
out in unexpected ways in the
fight with the floods.
The $7,O00,0 900 deficiency measure
would leave the War Department
with this $1,000 900 available for
continuing essential construction
work along the river, the report
said, until q new policy may have
been considered and adopted" with
relation 10 flood control.
Disclosure that the $2.000,O00 IN
u~nallotted river and harbor funds
was diverted 10 levee repair work
recalls that the War Department
was informed by the controller gen
eral at the time this was proposed
that there was no legal authority for
such a transfer. Secretary Davis
szid that ii was decided to make the
allotment for use ION navigation
features" OF the Mississippi River
Commission's work, such as dredging
and bank revetment. but he makes
no mention of the correspondence
enrttk fhn r~ptwrIfaw wnppral
The War Secretary discusses the
flood situation along the Mississippi
&C considerable length. but since his
report was prepared before the adj
ministration project for control Of
flood waters was matured, it shed no
new light on that problem. Consid-
cradle space also was devoted to the
Inland Waterways Corporation. the
Philippine Islands and other civil as
poets Of the War Department; but
the military side Of this work was
mentioned only briefly. being left
10 the report OF Major General Sum
neral. chief of staff.
For the army itself, Secretary Da-
Wis said the major need was "a con-
tinued sterilization Of policy as TO
strength, organization and location.
"The insufficiency Of our pro-
vision for the building up and main
tenance of the authorized war re-
serve OF material for two field
armies OF 100000 men Is a matter
Of deep concern to this department"
ne said. "Stagnation in promotion
and ~inadequecy of housing also re-
main as important questions for So
luton.
"Houever, 20 my opinion, the all
important present need of the War
Department so far as its military ac-
t~ivities are concerned, Is a c%ontin-
ued sterilization of policy. The eff
f~ectiveness of TIE army, the morale
Of the personnel and the proficiency
OF its units for many years after the
world war suffered from uncertain
ties as 10 strength, organization and
location. Under such condition
progress could not be otherwise than
slow and somewhat unsatisfactory"
In noting the death of Major Gen.
eral Leonard Wood. Governor Gen
eral Of the Philippines. Secretary
Davis said that never in their his
tory had the government of the is
lands been ain so satisfactory and
promising condition" as today.
"The Philippines of today" he
added, "are Gneeral Woods most
fitting monument. AS we review the
recent progress, we must ever re-
tain a mental image Of the person
atty. the patriotism and the untir-
ing zeal of the great administrator.
Without such background we can
not expect 70 grasp intelligently the
full Significance OF the gradual but
sure development of a great people.
~Never have the people Of the Is
lands been more prosperous. Never
has the outlook for the future been
more bright. This happy situation Is
the result Of the policies pursued
by the United States in its goveranee
OF the Philippines, reinforced and
maintained by q sterling admins
tration Of the islands during the
past ak years"
Mr.. Davis rehearsed st length the
statistics showing development of
cree and transportation
through the Mississippi-Warrio
barge services and said the time was
NJ hand for a declaration by Con-
cress as "a the future Of the Inland
Waterways Corporation but made
no recommendation as TO what gov
eminent policy should be. Instead,
the War Secretary outlines six pos