The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-09-30
Washington
Merry-Go-
Round
SEPT. 80, 1885
BY DREW PEARSON and
ROBERT ). ALLEN

ROBERT >. ALLEN
XXThSH1NGTON, Sept. Soft
w there are such things as
ghosts or heavenly spirits, one Of
them must be watching the Presi-
dent today as he inspects the
mightiest dam the world has ever
seen-the hsndiwork one man long
ago planned and conceived.
Almost forgotten today is Arthur
Powell Davis. first father of Boul-
der Dam. Years ago. as chief en-
gineer Of the Reclamation Service,
and later its director, he planned
the great project being dedicated
today.
For years the Davis report was
the Bible for Boulder Dam. Then
in 1933-Six years before the dam
was fought through CongreSs-DaviS
found himself too liberal for the
Harding Administration and was
fired.
He went on to other things, nota-
bly, the giant Mokehumne River
aqueduct, which supplies San Fran
cisco and the vicinity with water.
But as far as Boulder Dam was
concerned he was forgotten
Until Secretary Harold Ickes re-
membered, called him back to Wash
ington, gave him a special title in
recognition Of his services.
One month later Mr.. Davis died.
THREE others stand alongside
i A. P. Davis as the fathers OF
Boulder Dam.
They are Senator Hiram Johnson,
ex-CongreSsman Phil Swing of Call
ifornia, and Elwood Mead, who
succeeded Mr.. Davis as director OF
reclamation.
Mr. Mead is now n. During
about 81 of those years he super
vised irrigation and reclamation
projects in the Far West, in Aus
tralia, in Palestine, in Austria and
Germany, until he became the fore
most land settlement authority Of
his day.
And during the last 20 of those
years he has fought the fight of
Boulder Dam. One arm cut of al
most at his shoulder, interchangeable
despite his years, Dr. Mead has
piercing blue eyes that give only
hint OF the fire that burns beneath
his mild exterior.
II
DILL SWING was elected to Con-
L gress from San Diego in 1920
| on the sole platform of passing the
Boulder Dam bill. Prior to election
he had helped organize the Imperial
Irrigation District and was one of
the greateSet irrigation advocates in
| California.
Boulder Dam was approved by
| Congress in 1929. The next term
following, Swing was defeated by a
Democrat.
But both Swing and Mead would
have failed had it not been for the
bulldog tenacity of Hiram Johnson.
Johnson introduced the Boulder
Dam bill in the Senate even before
Swing was elected to Congress.
Every session it was sidetracked.
Every session he reintroduced it.
And if any one individual can
rank with Davis as the father Of
! Boulder Dam, it is the iraScible,
| bear-tempered, uncOmpromising
lovable Senator from California.
who drove to final conclusion the
idea Davis conceived.
XXTHEN the Brazilian ambassa-
w dor, who beat Roosevelt to
Boulder Dam by month, registered
at the hotel in Las Vegas, he wrote:
"Oswaldo Aranha, 5000 MasSachu-
setts-av.. Washington, D. c."
He wanted to remain incognito,
confident that no one in that COM
munity of rancherS and construc-
ton workers, $500 miles from Wash
ington, ever had heard Of him.
The incognito worked, and he
spent the evening making CONVEX
Sation with any one who would talk
to him about the dam, the New
Deal and the desert.
But at breakfast next morning
his luck changed. The waitress put
a cup of coffee at his right, little
book in front of him, and said MIR.
Ambassador, would you kindly give
me your autograph"
No one in Ambassador Aranha's
party has yet been able to figure
out how she discovered his identity.
But they suspect the chauffeur.
u
THE dam the President views to-
l. day is the tallest in the
world-726 feet. 1t is also the Wild
Pest. Even if the dam we're laid on
its side it would still be the worlds
Copyright 1885 BY United Feature
Syndicate, Inc.)
@ d. n $1,000. IN111