Evening star., 1951-08-07
7 Republicans Charge
Truman Plays Politics
With Flood Control
BY the Associated Press

Two Republican Senators sug-
geSted today that President Tru-
man is playing politics with the
disastrous Midwest floods of last
month.
But Democratic Senator Hum
phrey of Minnesota said he agreed
with Mr.. Truman that the Mid
west must elect more liberal
minded" members of Congress if
an integrated flood control pro-
gram is to be adopted.
The President yesterday wrote
CIO President Philip Murray that
creation of a Missouri Valley Au-
thority to control floods could be
assured only through election of
more "forward-looking, liberal
minded members of Congress"
from the Midwest.
Asked about the letter, Senator
KEN, Republican, of Missouri, de-
clared II cannot think that any
one who tries to get political ad-
vantage out of human misery will
gain anything in the end"
New Authority Favored.
Senator Schoeppel, Republican,
Of Kansas, said he hoped no one
was going "to play politics with
q great disaster"
Senator Humphrey, long an ad-
vocate of the proposal for Mis-
souri, Valley program similar to
that carried on by the Tennessee
Valley Authority, said he felt only
such an authority could sponsor
and carry out an economical flood
control program that would get
results.
The present Pick-Sloan plan for
flood control in the Missouri Riv-
er Valley involves too many scat
tered Government agencies, Sem
ator Humphrey said.
In Topeka, Kansas State Repre-
sentative Myron George, Repub-
lican, said switch from the Pick
Sloan plan to Missouri Valley
Authority would set back flood
control projects another 20 years"
Dispute on Fund Cuts.
Declaring that the President is
"Stalling,' Mr.. George added:
What the people of our State
are demanding is relief from the
recurring tragedy of floods"
In his letter Mr.. Truman also
told Mr.. Murray that Congress
had indulged in false economy"
by cutting his requests for flood
control in each of the past four
years.
Senator KEN challenged the
President on this point.
He said the White House cut
$500 million from funds allotted
by Congress for flood control in
the fiscal year 1947, slashed S344,-
777,000 from the Army Engi-
neers' request for water projects
in fiscal 1851, and then cut $50
million from the money appro-
priated to the engineers in the
same year.
Senator Schoeppel proposed get
ting on with the job of building
dams in the area hit by the recent
floods.
One Republican Senator from
the Midwest said once the dams
are built in the Missouri River
basin some agency such as valley
authority might be set up to
handle problems of power and
water distribution.
But he said "the MVA" as such
was so controversial an issue that
to push it now merely would de-
lay building of dams needed to
harness the streams which have
caused so much damage. The
Senator asked that he not be iden-
titled by name.
Senator Murray, Democrat, of |
Montana said he believed the
floods had given considerable i'm
petus to the MVA bill which he
sponsors.
Only the MVA proposal, said
Senator Murray, would lead to a |
co-ordinated program including
soil conservation and public power
development as we'll as flood con-
troll and reclamation features.
-