Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-07
WILBUR DISCUSSES
POWER PROJECTS
Secretary of the Interior Tells
of U. S. Reclamation in Talk
in Radio Forum.

I'VE can determine much by ma jority
vote, but no matter how great the ma
jority, we cannot change the laws OF ma
ture in regard TO even single drop OF
water" declared DR.. Ray Lyman Wilbur
Secretary of the Interior, in a discus
sion of the reclamation and water power
projects of the Government in the West
last night over radio station WMAL in
the National Radio Forum, arranged
by The Star and sponsored by the Co
lumbia BroadcaSting System.
United efforts of different political
communities are necessary, Secretary
Wilbur pointed out, for the proper
carrying out of such vast projects as
Boulder Dam, in which seven States
are vitality interested. The same con-
ditions, he explained, are to be found
IN connection with other projects.
If we permit the slogans, preju-
dices and strict political thinking to
control, we will make a failure" he
continued. I'VE must develop capac-
ity in social engineering that will per-
init us to take full advantage of that
engineering based on the immutaole
laws controlling U.s."
Urges Cooperation.
Inevitably, said DR.. Wilbur, the Gov
eminent finds a conflict of the interests
of political units in the use Of available
regional resources. The water needed
for irrigation or power In one State
may come from that portion of a river
that flows through another State, and
so it goes. His speech was a plea for
more friendly cooperation between the
States in such matters.
TRY as hard as we may" he con-
tinued, Ito operate political units, to
determine the functions of States in
the United States, or to distinguish be-
tween the activities of various branches
of the national Government, We will
only be fooling ourselves, if we forget
that nature knows nothing of our child
tsh activities, but goes on in its time
less way obeying its own laws"
If men can act in harmony with ma
lures laws, working in organized groups
with the resources of the country, they
will and can succeed, since scientists
and engineers have pointed the way,
DR.. Wilbur declared.
ut is a great test of human charac-
ter and human capacity" he added. 1T
compels us to listen to the voice Of the
scientist"
Text Of Address.
The text of Secretary Wilbur's adj
dress follows:
The buckskin-clad hunter with his
lcng rifle and Ratchet typifled the early
P4OA4CCA' 44ACA4 O0L1C VAC Wv
cred emigrant wagon as the Western
prairieS were conquered, and then the
railroad carrying new emigrantS from
the Ohio Valley to the Pacific Coast.
This conquering of large portion Of a
continent by successive waves of cour-
ageous and versatile men and vigorous
and brave women with the bloods of
Europe in their veins makes one Of the
great records in the geographical adj
~ fka human With Y1lnxY
spade and saw, with dams, waterfalls,
dynamite and wheels, with school house,
church and factory, with organization.
and accumulated wealth, the vast treas
ureS of field and forest, stream and
hills have been brought under control.
We are harvesting the crops of the
ages in our coal, oil, iron and other
minerals, and the crops of centuries In |
our forests. We have been so busy do |
ing the work Of the day, attaining DOM
nation and control over nature, that |
almost without realization Of what has
been going on we suddenly find our
Nation a huge economic unit, great
world power, q great reservoir of
wealth and the Oldest established re-
public
By the aid Of invention, discovery
and research we are building a great
civilization by learning to bring into
our service certain dependable universal
laws. Farming has become a business, |
each farm providing its rivulet to the |
great stream of trade. Each waterfall |
is adding its fragment Of power to the |
great industrial strength of the Nation; |
each coal mine or oil well Is having a |
share in that controlled combustion |
which turns the wheels of transporta- |
ton and manufacture. With train and |
steamboat, cable and radio, we are do |
ing our part to construct new world |
interlocked by a myriad Of associations. |
New Pioneer Days.
The day of simple pioneering has |
gone by. New pioneer days are with |
us and before us. The further conquest
of our continent and its resources is too
much for any man with rife or any
family with an emigrant wagon. We
must work in groups; we must have