The Washington times., 1930-11-21
CHICAGO FLOOD.
PLAN BACKED
BY HEARST
Publisher Promises Mayor
Aid to Secure Release of
Millions 'for Mississippi


CHICAGO Nov. 21.-Mayor
Thompson's proposal to speed
business in Chicago and the Mis-
sissippi Valley by having Congress
cut the strings attached the the
$34O, 600, 900 Federal appropriation
for flood control work is meeting
with enthusiastic response, he
said today.
Gov. r. c. Dillon Of New Mexi.
CO called at the PasSavant Hospi.
tai where the mayor is recu.
perating from his recent opera
tion, and pledged the States sup
port to the move.
The mayor said:
I'VE have the money, but now
we have to fight to get the Ad-
miniStratiOn at Washington to
spend it. The appropriation
stipulated it was to be spent in
ten annual installmentS. But
$40, 900, 900 has been expended
to date. 1t should mot be neces-
sary in these times to bring
pressure to bear upon the Ad.
miniStratiOn to give the people
relief, but that Is exactly what
we are compelled to dO."
w. r. Hearst Letter
In this connection the mayor
made public a letter he received
from William Randolph Hearst.
It follows:
II have q letter from your
secretary asking If the Hea.st
papers are interested in sup
porting your conference in Chi
cagO in the month Of January
to secure action from the Ad.
ministratiOn at Washington in
Mississippi Valley development.
"You may be assured that
the Hearst publications viii
heartily support any great
Mississippi River project Of
the kind you have in mind.
81 am in hearty accord also
with your endeavOr to drive Of
ficial Washington into action.
We have had so much conver-
satiOn and 50 many resolutions
and aIibi committees that the
public is getting . little bit
discouraged.
Action Is Needed
"The situation throughout
the country needs action. It
cannot be benefited by any
further conversation. In fact,
every time the Administration
induIges in conversation the
disappointment Of the public is
indicated i'm . further depres-
sion.
perhaps the. country would
recover of itself If the people
who are supposed to act would
stop futile conversation and
cease to evade action by the
very obvious subterfuges of reSO-
lutiOns and alibi committees.
I'm fact, this varied CONVEX
SatiOn is such an evident and
such q diScouragnig substitute
for necessary action that the
conversation, / think, plainly
does harm instead Of good.
Queries Support
II don't know what to make
Of the President I so heartily
and hopefully supported. It
was said Of Mr.. Taft that he
would not do anything that he
could not do sitting down, but
apparently Mr.. Hoover will not
even do what he can do in the
comfort Of an easy chair.
Il like Mr.. Hoover personally
and we would be glad to con-
tinue to support him, but he
must give us something to sup
port. The ancient Mr.. Nero
obtained considerable nOtOriety
by fiddling while Rome was
burning. Talk does not put out
any more fires than fiddIing.
"The country needs . man
Of action-the kind Of q man
we believed Mr.. Hoover to be.
If Mr.. Hoover is q man Of
action it is about time he gave
evidence Of it. Up to the pres
ent time the only thing he
seems to be interested in is get
ting the country into European
complications and helping the
bankers sell European war
bonds TO the American public,
Il cannot get enthusiastic for
that program. So hope your
conference viii be successful i'm
getting the President to interest
himself in American problems"