Evening star., 1950-01-08
y. S. Takes Wafer for Granted While II Runs
Engineer Chief Says
N. Y. Crisis Will
Be Repeated
By Froncis P. DouaIos

" SI0uSES = I. 1VoSlO3
Our future as . Nation depends
on our water supply.
This is the opinion Of Maj. Gen.
Lewis A. Pick. chief Of Army snsi-
neers and one Of the Nations fore
most experts on water eonssrva-
ton on q grand scale.
He regards water a. "the biggest
story in the United States" To
him the current shortage Of water
IN New York City Is m example Of
crises that Will be repeated else
where in the future.
According TO Gen. Pick, II the
United States Is going to retain
It's world leadership It must learn
to solve Its water problems-hus-
banding the supply. using It IN
telligensiy and effectively. It can
not let surpluses drain OF into the
oceans in spring floods when It il
needed later in the year for
parched lands and to I'LL the
streams.
He tells this biggest story
briefly this way:
Because we are q great indus
trial Nation and q great agricul-
tural Nation we find ourselves the
leading Nation Of the world. II
We are to continue to be the lead
ing Nation we must continue to
build as an industrial Nation and
as an agricultural Nation.
Water Problem Not New
1--WE now have $50 900 900 peo-
pie. 1t Is expected that in another
century we will have twice this
number. 800, Q,000.0 900.
I'VE have to conserve the land
and water to feed this population.
We have to have water for indus
try. which uses tremendous
amounts, and for our rivers over
which we carry supplies to indus
try. We have the best harbors
in the world and $4,000 miles Of
inland waterways.
From the industrial standpoint
we are using up some of our basic
materials. One is iron ore. A
search Is being made around the
world for sources of iron. With
cheap transportation we can af-
ford to 20 abroad for our indus
trial raw materials and bring them
here to be processed.
"We can afford to do that if we
can provide meat and bread to
feed our people. But We cannot
afford 1t If we have to bring both
raw materials and food from
abroad.
"The only thing that will stop
our development Is that we fail
to make proper use of our water"
Gen. Pick declined to make
comparisons with other nations.
But in the light of what he said,
the experience Of the British Isles
obviously comes to mind. Britain
imports both raw materials and
food; she has been outstripped In
competition and there is discus
sion whether part of her popuia-
ton should move to other British
lands. On the other hand, there
Is Russia, with great supplies Of
raw materials, with the possibility
Of producing abundant food, but,
so far. with deficiency in indus
trial experience and skills.
Los Angeles Situation
The water problem has attracted
attention by the experience of
New York, where the city's short
age has been; dramatized by the
Wniskers on the faces OF those OBJ
serving ro-shaving Fridays to
conserve water. Gen. Pick lays
the New York shortage to last
summers dry weather plus the
steadily increasing use Of the
supply.
Elsewhere. the water problem is
older and more acute. The growth
Of Los Angeles. for example. is1
held to be definitely limited unless
the city can obtain more water.
It now brings water $50 miles
from the Colorado River. So acute
is the problem that the California
Legislaturs was asked to appro-