Evening star., 1928-12-05
RIVER AND HARbOR
PLANS DISCUSSED
War Secretary Holds Water
ways Improvement Factor
in National Defense.

From the standpoint OF military
preparedness in our next major emer-
gency and because of detrimental
effect on the development of rivers and
harbors, Secretary Of War Dwight F.
Davis opposes any attempt to separate
the ARMY CORPS of Engineers from the
duties connected with the improvement
of the Nations waterways and harborS
Addressing the opening session of the
National Rivers and Harbors Congress
at the New Willard Hotel today, Secre-
tary Davis took a decided stand in
favor of continuation of the work of
Army engineers on the waterways of
this country.
For the needs of national defense
there must be an engineer force in the
Army" Mr.. Davis said. "The results
demanded Of its members wiar time
require constant peace time practice of
the profession of engineering. To de-
velop capacity for wartime needs the
engineer officer must have peace-time
experience requiring major decisions.
Peace-tibe Training Field.
1.-THE engineering works involved in
our river and harbor improvement pro-
grams are the peace-time traininfi fields
of our military engineers =. The
waterways problems must be solved in
the national interest. No body of men is
more nationally minded than the Corps
of Engineers. Our military engineers
must be trained on large works, in
volving the meeting of serious emer-
gencies. There is no other civil work
comparable in value in the development
of emergency decisions to the problems
of waterway improvement. Finally, the
works so prosecuted return dividends in
reduced water transportation costs and
in assured military preparedness for
war. This utilization of the Corps of
Engineers in our river and harbor work
thus returns double dividends to the
Nation. IL would short sighted, eco
nomically wasteful and serious blow
to the national defense not to use this
trained corps, which must be main
tanned in any event, on work which
they have carried on with signal sue
cess for over century and which is
vital to our military preparedness"
Reviewing progress in rivers and har-
bors work over the last four years and
especially this year, Secretary Davis
declared that passage by Congress OF
the Denison act is of the utmost signifi-
canoe. "Of especial Importance is the
provisions directing the establishment
of joint rail and water routes, rates and
divisions" he said. Under this ACT
we hoped to work out an equitable set
tlement with the railroads, by co-opera-
ton If possible, by compulsion ii
Some of the outstanding accomplish
ments of the year were listed by Secre-
tary Davis as follows:
Adoption by Congress Of q definite
and comprehensive flood control plar
for tho Micciccinri piVor
Successful operation of the Fedora
Barge Line, with net earnings of nearly
$245. 900 in nine months.
The vastly improved condition of oul
seacoast harborS.
recommendations of the War Depart
ment for expansion Of the program fol
the Great Lakes.
Surveys and studies looking to formu.
lation of plans for co-ordinated develop.
ment of the waterways of the Mississippi
system, not only for navigation. but fol
flood control, irrigation, reclamation
and power development.
Railroads AntagOnize Proposal.
The principal reason for non-use o.
the inland navigable streams of thu
United States Is the active opposition
of the railroads, Representative Deni.
son of Illinois, told the Congress. The
railroads have adopted a reactionary
course of opposition to development oi
the commerce of the inland waterways
and have thwarted their own purposes
in not developing commerce by rail
hand in hand with water-borne COM
merce, he declared. Water transpor-
tation is cheaper than any form of trans
portation by the rail carriers, Mr.. Deni-
son said, adding that because of lack
of development of water transporta-
tion the farmers of the Mississippi VAL
ley and other parts of the Midwest
are suffering from expensive rail trans
portation.
Mr.. Denison pleaded for cooperation
between the rail carriers and the agen-
cies controlling water-borne commerce,
declaring that no transportation scheme
which relies upon single method can
be successful. He said 1t Is clearly the
intent of Congress, under the trans
portation act of 1920, that development
of water-borne commerce must go hand
in hand with cooperation of the rail-
roads and that the railroads should not
wait longer to establish joint rail and
water rates.