Evening star., 1936-08-10
ROOSEVELT HOLDS
.::-.PARLEY ON FLOOD
Maps Control Plans With
Relief and Army Officials
on Return.
BY ]. RUSSELL YOUNG.

/: BY j. RUSSELL 1OUNU.
His face deeply tanned, President
Roosevelt returned to Washington
early today after an absence Of ex-
actly one month, and lost no time in
tackling the problems confronting
him, the most important for the
moment being a preliminary program
under the s32o,000,000 flood-control
act.
To assist him the President called
O meeting at the White House of his
special Flood Control Committee,
headed by Maj. Gen. Edward M.
Markham, chief of Army Engineers.
and composed chiefly of Army En-
gireers and Federal relief officials.
He discussed with this group surveys
for f1ood-control projects for the New
England and Central Eastern States,
as well as a program Of Federal and
State cooperation in long-term
flood prevention program.
Besides the chief of Army Engineers,
others who attended the Presidents
food conference were Frederic A.
pelano and Abel Wolman of the Ma
tfonal Resources Board, Aubrey Will
liams and Col. F. c. Harrington of
the Works Progress Administration,
Robert Fechner, director Of the Civil
ian Conservation Corps, and Court
Iandt B. Manifold of the Soil Con-
servation Board.
. To Leave Thursday.
> The onlv news Forthcoming after
the one-hour conference was that he
would leave Washington early Thurs
day and that his first stop would be
Jphnstown, Pa, which suffered Sc
verely during the March floods. Gen.
Markham and others of the Flood
Committee will accompany him.
The Presidents special train, which
brought him from Hyde Park, N. Y,
where he spent the last week at his
ancestral home on the Hudson River
arrived at Union Station at $3.50 am
Secretary of the Treasury Morgenthau
whose country estate at FiShkil is
only 0 few miles from the Roosevelt
Hyde Park home. accompanied him
back to Washington.
When the President reached the
White House he found huge accu-
mutation of papers awaiting his at
tention. He also conferred with
Secretary of the Navy Swanson and
Admiral William Standley, chief of
naval operations and acting Secre-
tary of the Navy during Secretary
Swanson's long illness; Sumner
Welles, Assistant Secretary of State;
Secretary of the Treasury Morgen-
thau, who was a luncheon guest;
Rear Admiral C. J. Peoples, director
Of the Procurement Division, Treas
ury Department, and D. w, Bell, act
ing director of the Budget Bureau.
d, Rudolph Hecht of New Orleans.
former president of the American
Bankers Association, who has just
returned from Europe, had a brief
hat with the President.
Tour to Take Three Days.
The Presidents inspection tour of
: nnsylvania and Western New York
r7.ll take about three days. He will
hen return to his Hyde Park home,
here he will remain until he starts
VI his inspection of the devastated
sea in the so-called dust pool" in
ne West. On this trip he will con-
Ecr with Gov. Landon. his Republi-
IN opponent. and other State and
cderal representatives.
To Have Little Time Here.
Indications are the President will
2rt on his inspection of the drought
5"eas about August 25 or 26, and ten
tive plans will keep him away from
Arlington until about September H.
'rsonal plans after that are somewhat
) definite now, but there is reason to
'ieve the President then will engage
= campaigning.
; At this time he has only one def
campaign speaking date, which
. Il take him to Charlotte, N. c., on
= ptember 10.
Says Trip Nom Political.
The President has made it very plain
that references to any political aspects
sf his flood and drought inspection
trips are particularly displeasing to
him. He has emphatically insisted
that these tours should be considered
as non-political.
= However. the fact the President will
confer with number of State Gov
ernors, as we'll as other State officials,
en- these tours has given rise to polit-
fcal speculation. In addition, the
announcement of conference with
Gov. Landon Is naturally attracting
attention.
: During the past week at his Hyde
Park home, Mr.. Roosevelt rested,
inotored around the country visiting
Old friends and neighbors, and held
conferences with political aides and
Government officials. He also disposed
of certain amount Of pressing Gov
ernment business.
Yesterday, before clearing his desk
Preparatory to returning to the White
house, the President attended services
at ST. James Episcopal Church in Hyde
Park. During the afternoon there
was something of family reunion at
The home following the return of Mrs
John Boettiger, only daughter of the
PRESIDENT and Mrs. Roosevelt, and her
husband. Also present were Franklin,
r.. and John Roosevelt, the younger
Of the four Roosevelt sons, who were
members of the Presidents crew dur
ing the sail along the Canadian and
New England shores
. AS he stepped aboard his train at
hyde Park, the President told home
town friends he would be back late
Saturday night. Besides Secretary and
Mrs. Morgenthau, Delano, the Presi-
dents uncle, who also has home at
Hyde Park, was on the train. Delano
Is chairman of the National Resources
Board.