Evening star., 1950-05-11

In the Ohio valley, and around
the Great Lakes, the principa
work that is being done is on fooc
control, navigation and soil con-
/. servation. There is also much
e need for reforestation.
e The Missouri River basin is sc
r large that it requires considera-
ton of all aspects Of resource
Y development. From the high
= plains in the West to the humid
+ areas of the lower Missouri, this
Y basin presents perhaps the mosi
complex problem of all. The
E work that is necessary includes
S extensive development Of food
t control, irrigation and power
r works, as well as increased con-
servation efforts on crop and
r range land.
Careful Planning Needed.
/ We have embarked, all over the
country, on the task of fully de-
!. veloping our resources for all the
people. This is a job that will
take many years to complete. 1t
will require sound and careful
planning.
We shall not get the job done.
however, by sitting still. We must
continue to take positive action.
, And we shall have to continue to
overcome the opposition of those
who do not understand the great
ness Of our goal, or who fear some
impairment of their selfish in
terestS.
The benefits of public invest
ment must be passed on to the
people whose tax money is being
used. Those benefits must not
be diverted for private profit. We
will continue to fight and win
for that principle.
No doubt we shall also have
to fight those who think ex-
penditures of resource develop
ment are waste of public funds.
They should have disqualified
themselves by now. Their fan
tastic claims about Grand Coulee
prove that they can't tell the
difference between a waste of
funds and a sensible investment.
I believe the Columbia Valley
Administration is a necessary
next step in the sensible, demo-
cratic development of the re-
sources of the Northwest. I be-
lieve the people of this area think
so, too.
And when they make their
voices heard, I am sure the Co.
lumbia Valley administration will
be established.
Finally, we will still have to
fight those who imagine that every
progressive action is another step
down that famous last mile to
socialism" The facts continue to
make that claim ridiculous.
Our whole future depends on
the wisdom and maturity we
bring to bear on our national
problems. We are engaged in a
great struggle to achieve peace
in world beset with danger and
, threatened by Communist i'm
perialism. We shall be engaged
in the struggle for peace for years
to come.
If we are to be successful, we
/ must display the adventurous
| spirit and the firm courage of our
; pioneering fathers. ..
PENDLETON, Oreg.. May II
R.-FollotUing is the partial
tert of President Truman's ad-
dress last night:
am glad to be here in Pendleton
today. :.
At different towns and cities, I
have talked about world peace and
the farm program, and the develop
ment Of our natural resources. All
these things are tied together, be-
cause We need to build a strong
United States: strong morally and
strong materially, as the basis for
our own expanding future, and as
the basis for world peace.
Today, I want to talk with you
about the economic progress of our
country
The growth of the Pacific North
west is symbol of the breath
taking economic progress of the
United States. ...
These changes did not come about
by themselves. They are the result
of the daring and Independent spirit
which has always characterized this
area.
Throughout our history there have
been timid people who have been
afraid to move forward. They op-
posed all the progressive measures
we now take for granted. These
timid folk once tried to reverse the
trend toward free education and
political democracy. They called this
trend mob rule.
Today the spiritual descendants
of this timid group are afraid of
bold, progressive measures to achieve
an abundant and expanding econo-
my and to distribute its products
more fairly among all our people.
They call these measures statiSm or
socialism.
The use of the powers of Govern
ment to achieve a higher living
standard and fair deal for all the
people is not statism and it Is not
, socialism.
; 1t is a part of the American ira
dition.
Output of Goods Cited.
The best overall measure of a
, nations economy is its annual out
put of goods and services. In the
United States the annual output
of goods and services has increased
in the last 10 years about so per
cent.
Now how does this affect the in
dividual citizen? You know a favor
ite theme of the boys who are
always trying to run our country
down instead of trying to build it
up, is that the Government takes
all our gains away by high taxes.