Evening star., 1945-03-23
BY JAMES BIRCHFIELD.

Representative Robertson, Demo-
crat, of Virginia is trying to dis
cover what brought about a change
in the Army engineers plans for
the Potomac River basin from
flood control to "98 per cent power
development"
Mr.. Robertson told The Star today
that Il have tried. but so far with
out avail, to ascertain who induced
the Army engineers'to expend thou
sands Of dollars in the study of power
development on the Potomac River
when only decade ago it had made
similar study and reached the very
definite and positive conclusion that
no work should be done by the Fed
eral Government on the Potomac in
connection with power development"
In a report on Potomac basin
f1ood-control measures submitted by
Maj. Gen. Lytle Brown, chief of
engineers, to Congress in 1888. Mr..
Robertson said, the following recon-
mendations were made:
81. That no work be done by the
Federal Government on the Potomac
River in connection with power de-
Ivelopment or irrigation.
.. That the navigation project on
the Potomac River remain for the
present as now adopted
! "3. That no works for flood pro-
| lection on the Potomac River be
undertaken by the Federal Govern
ment except the suitable grading of
the low area between the Lincoln
Memorial and the Washington Mon
ument, on plans to be prepared by
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission. -.
a. That provision be made for the
construction of temporary works for
/ the protection of important areas in
/ the District of Columbia when
threatened by food, at an estimated
cost of $4,000 for each food"
Recommended Power Plant.
The engineers report also included
plans for hydro-electric plant at
Lock IT. at Chain Bridge, but rec
commended that a power plant be
constructed at this site only if lit
becomes necessary for the Federal
Government to produce its own
power"
The report further stated that
water-power facilities of the Po-
tomac basin are undeveloped, and
added that greatest water power po-
tential existed in the lower Potomac
below Harpers Ferry.
Mr.. Robertson, in letter to Gov
Darden of Virginia setting forth his
objections to the Potomac River
power project, expressed surprise
that the Army engineers had made
this their major proposal in respond
ing to an act of Congress calling for
flood-control survey. He said his
letter, however. had overlooked a re-
port by the Agriculture Department
citing the recommendation of Gen
| Brown.
Asserting that he has been unable
to account for the engineers change
in policy, Mr.. Robertson said that
certainly the suggestion for the
power development did not come
from Interior Secretary Ickes, who
stated in his annual report to the
President for 1914 that the job OF
converting the departments hydro
electric output from war to peace
time use would be herculean."
In his report, Mr.. Ickes disclosed
that the department had already
developed hydro-electricity roughly
three times the entire developed ca.
pacity of South America in 1895
and had generated 13,747, 900 00t
kilowatt-hours of electricity during
the last fiscal year.
mo one has yet explained to me,
Mr.. Robertson said, why we should
add to Secretary Ickes' 'herculean
job of selling the Government power
We are already producing"
Meanwhile, Col. John M. johnson
District Army engineer, explained
that since the main monetary benefit
| accruing from the project would be
the development OF water power,
this was necessary in order to make
possible the realization of the full
benefits enumerated under the other
items of higher priority in pref
erence, but which alone are not
economically feasible.
Cites Principal Beneficiaries.
In letter to Mrs. Belinda Boyd,
one of two Jefferson County tW. Va.)
women who declined to sign petit
ton against the proposed dam at
Millville, one of the IA included in
Court Rules Bre