The Washington times., 1938-01-20
Big Bill Thompson
/ In Capital to Seek
Water for. Canals
Chicago Er-M GyOr
Is Emphatic in
His Stand
BY CARROLL PEEKE

De more SepuDllCAuS Ildn ever
in the State. And that's a pre-
diction."
William Hale big Bill" Thomp
son, spectacular Republican mayor
of Chicago for IL years. who once
threatened to give the King Of
England a poke on the snoot" if
his majesty came to Chicago,
voiced that warning here today.
"WE WANT WATER"
He added:
I'VE had a hell Of a time over
Dooze, but this is even worse.
We want water now, and we
need it,"
Mayor Thompson is here to ap-
pear before the House Rivers and
Harbors Committee to urge pas
sage Of the Parsons bill, which
would permit the withdrawal Of
water from Lake Michigan to
operate the ship canal, giving
Chicago direct water connection
with the Gulf ports, and thence
to the Panama Canal. He ex-
planned:
Chicago is on the block, And
the question is, does this Admin
/ istration slaughter her or not?
1--WE have spent over $780,
100000 in developing our water
ways system. We were origin
ally permitted 10000 second feet
Of water. Then they cut that
to 5000, and now want to re-
duce it further to 1.50C.
ENOUGH FOR GRASS
"That much water would be
just about enough to grow grass
on the bottom Of the canal!
"Well, If they persist in dry
ing, up our waterways I guess
I'll have to get me camel train.
"And then, not content with
taking the water from the canal,
they want to build bridges
across it, so ships couldn't use
it anyway.
=; Gan army travels on its belly.
but ships and canal boats have
to have water"
Declaring that development Of
the Mississippi Valley waterways
is q vital part of the national de.
tense system, Mayor Thompson
said:
Some Of these patriotic Con-
gresSmen better quit waving the
flag up on the mountains and
come down into the valley.
'The Mississippi Valley is the
bread basket Of the nation. And
it contains between IS and 80
per. cent Of all raw materials.
So unlimited transportation is
needed to transport these essen
tials in time of emergency"
The Republican party must de
velep a constructive progran n
rather than merely criticizing thu
Democrats before it can stage &
comeback, in the opinion of Mayor
Thompson. He said:
"The majority of our citizens
are irrepressible optimists. They
don't want to listen to growlS.
and so knockers never get far.
|. "Of course, the Democrats
have far too much power, and
SO they are beginning to fight
among themselves. Sometimes
the hour Of greatest strength is
the hour Of greatest weakness.
"You know, families get along
fine until they come to divide
up the estate"
But the fighting is, not all con
fined to the Democrats, he ad
mitted, saying;
"The Chicago Republicans
determined on a program Of
harmony this year. And they
started off with a fight. Looks
like they are determined to
have harmony even if they have
to fight for it,. :
BUSINESS VIEWS
Asked concerning the present
business recession, he said:
''Well, our, mayor said re-
Gently that there are now $4,000
more, on the Chicago relief rolls
than there were at this time a
year ago.
when was mayor, we didn't
have SOUP kitchens and bread
lines.
Il have a fishing camp up in
Ontario. When I used to go
there, the American dollar was
worth $1.l0. Now it's at a dis
count. Perhaps that's an
j, achievement by the AdminiStra-
ton"
Despite, his former antipathy