April 16, 1952
IT IS a very great honor for me to be received by the Governors of seven of the great States of this community.
Won't you please be seated, Governors. You don't want to stand up all the time while I'm "twirlin off."
This situation is a very, very acute one. It is not new. Last year the lower valley had a disaster almost as--well, it was the worst one in the history of that end of the valley; and this, apparently, is--according to General Pick--the worst one at this end of the valley.
The Mississippi is on a rampage over on the other side of the States of Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri, and there isn't any necessity for these things happening. General Pick and I have been working on a flood control plan for the valley from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, and from Pittsburgh to Denver. Since 1926--isn't that right, General Pick?--a concrete plan has been presented for flood control in the whole valley from Pittsburgh to Denver, and from Minnesota to the Gulf.
The southern end of that plan--the Mississippi River from Cairo, Ill., to the Gulf has been fixed. I don't think there is any chance of a disastrous flood in the southern part of the Mississippi valley, for the simple reason that after 1927, having Southern Senators and Congressmen in control of the committees of the House and the Senate, the southern Mississippi was fixed.
Now it has been a very difficult matter to get the Governors of the upper reaches of this valley--the States which compose the drainage basin of the Missouri and the Mississippi--to come together and understand just exactly what is necessary, if we are going to have a flood control program that will work.
Last year I went from one end of the flood area to the other, from St. Louis, Mo., to Salina, Kans., and Miami, Okla., and then back. And when I understood from General Pick just what a disastrous situation was developing in the upper Mississippi and the upper reaches of the Missouri, I felt it was my duty to come out here and try to get an educational program put on, so that eventually we can have an arrangement that will prevent such things from happening in the future. And it can be done.
General Pick has just told you exactly how it can be done in the Missouri basin. And the same thing can be done in the Mississippi basin above St. Louis. The same thing can be done in the tributaries of the rivers in Illinois, Indiana--in Nebraska, in Kansas, and in Missouri, and we won't have a situation like this now.
These two awful floods--the one taking place now, and the one which took place last year--have caused enough damage to have paid for the necessities to prevent them five times over--maybe six. And it seems to me that that is good sense and good business. And I want the States in this basin to cooperate with the Federal Government from now on to get that job done.
One of the Governors asked me if I was trying to make lobbyists out of the Governors-and I am. I am trying to make lobbyists out of the Governors, because the stake that they have in this is the welfare of their constituents in every one of these States.
I am not running for office. I am out here as a public servant of the people of the United States of America. I am the lobbyist for 155 million people, who have no lobbyist in Washington. I represent them all.
Each one of these Governors represents all the people in his State. Every one of them are patriotic citizens--and fine gentlemen. I have just met some of them. Some of them I have known for a long time.
I want this thing driven home. I want to get this job done. There isn't any sense in our fooling around any longer with it.
Since 1903 I have been flood-conscious. I saw that flood from a bluff in Kansas City. I saw the one last year, all the way up from St. Louis to the head of it--I walked through the ruined parts of it. There was quite a loss of life in that flood last year. General Pick tells me there has been no loss of life in this flood so far, and I hope there won't be any.
But, when you see these wonderful farm buildings all under water, when you see cities and towns with their business districts under water, as I saw this morning, then you understand that were it not for some forehandedness, Omaha right this minute would have its industrial district almost completely washed out. I hope that won't happen. I hope it will be controlled and that this won't happen.
The only reason that it won't happen is because we are a little forehanded here and have made some construction that ought to have been made from the head of the river-the Missouri river to its mouth, and from the head of the Mississippi river to Cairo, Ill., and those little rivers in Illinois and Indiana that contribute to disaster and loss.
I hope--I sincerely hope--that this instructive meeting which we have had with General Pick of the Engineers, who has explained the whole situation to us, will have the effect that will cause us to get this job done.
Now we have got an economy wave on in the Congress. I had an economy wave before the budget went to the Congress. They have been wiping out some of these most important projects which I put into the budget. Two of these up-river dams that General Pick was talking about have been almost completely taken out of the construction program. That should not be done. I made the budget just as tight as it could be. I put in everything for flood control that I thought we could possibly stand. And I hope--and I am doing a little lobbying myself now--that the Congress will stick to that budget on flood control which I sent to them.
Now, my friends, you know the facts. I have seen this thing--I have seen every great flood that this country has ever had in this valley. This is the breadbasket of the Nation. The breadbasket certainly should be protected. And it can be protected.
That doesn't mean that I am not for projects that are necessary in every other part of the country. I was out in Oregon and Washington when the Columbia River caused so much damage out there, and when the Willamette River was on a rampage. I am just as anxious to see that stopped, I am just as anxious to see flood situations out in the Rio Grande Valley met as I am to see this one met, because I have, as I said, a nationwide public service job. That's all I do. That's all I am, is the Nation's public servant, to see that we can do what is best for the most people. I didn't come out here to make you a Democratic speech, either.
Thank you very much.
NOTE: The President spoke at 2:25 p.m. at the Offutt Air Force Base, Omaha, Nebr.
The seven Governors that met with the President were Val Peterson of Nebraska, Sigurd Anderson of South Dakota, C. Norman Brunsdale of North Dakota, William S. Beardsley of Iowa, Walter J. Kohler, Jr. of Wisconsin, C. Elmer Anderson of Minnesota, and Adlai E. Stevenson of Illinois.
During his remarks the President referred to Lt. Gen. Lewis A. Pick, Chief of Engineers of the United States Army.
For further information on the President's 1951 flood program in the Midwest, see 1951 volume, this series, Items 158, 162, 163, 183, 185, 196.
IT IS a very great honor for me to be received by the Governors of seven of the great States of this community.
Won't you please be seated, Governors. You don't want to stand up all the time while I'm "twirlin off."
This situation is a very, very acute one. It is not new. Last year the lower valley had a disaster almost as--well, it was the worst one in the history of that end of the valley; and this, apparently, is--according to General Pick--the worst one at this end of the valley.
The Mississippi is on a rampage over on the other side of the States of Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri, and there isn't any necessity for these things happening. General Pick and I have been working on a flood control plan for the valley from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, and from Pittsburgh to Denver. Since 1926--isn't that right, General Pick?--a concrete plan has been presented for flood control in the whole valley from Pittsburgh to Denver, and from Minnesota to the Gulf.
The southern end of that plan--the Mississippi River from Cairo, Ill., to the Gulf has been fixed. I don't think there is any chance of a disastrous flood in the southern part of the Mississippi valley, for the simple reason that after 1927, having Southern Senators and Congressmen in control of the committees of the House and the Senate, the southern Mississippi was fixed.
Now it has been a very difficult matter to get the Governors of the upper reaches of this valley--the States which compose the drainage basin of the Missouri and the Mississippi--to come together and understand just exactly what is necessary, if we are going to have a flood control program that will work.
Last year I went from one end of the flood area to the other, from St. Louis, Mo., to Salina, Kans., and Miami, Okla., and then back. And when I understood from General Pick just what a disastrous situation was developing in the upper Mississippi and the upper reaches of the Missouri, I felt it was my duty to come out here and try to get an educational program put on, so that eventually we can have an arrangement that will prevent such things from happening in the future. And it can be done.
General Pick has just told you exactly how it can be done in the Missouri basin. And the same thing can be done in the Mississippi basin above St. Louis. The same thing can be done in the tributaries of the rivers in Illinois, Indiana--in Nebraska, in Kansas, and in Missouri, and we won't have a situation like this now.
These two awful floods--the one taking place now, and the one which took place last year--have caused enough damage to have paid for the necessities to prevent them five times over--maybe six. And it seems to me that that is good sense and good business. And I want the States in this basin to cooperate with the Federal Government from now on to get that job done.
One of the Governors asked me if I was trying to make lobbyists out of the Governors-and I am. I am trying to make lobbyists out of the Governors, because the stake that they have in this is the welfare of their constituents in every one of these States.
I am not running for office. I am out here as a public servant of the people of the United States of America. I am the lobbyist for 155 million people, who have no lobbyist in Washington. I represent them all.
Each one of these Governors represents all the people in his State. Every one of them are patriotic citizens--and fine gentlemen. I have just met some of them. Some of them I have known for a long time.
I want this thing driven home. I want to get this job done. There isn't any sense in our fooling around any longer with it.
Since 1903 I have been flood-conscious. I saw that flood from a bluff in Kansas City. I saw the one last year, all the way up from St. Louis to the head of it--I walked through the ruined parts of it. There was quite a loss of life in that flood last year. General Pick tells me there has been no loss of life in this flood so far, and I hope there won't be any.
But, when you see these wonderful farm buildings all under water, when you see cities and towns with their business districts under water, as I saw this morning, then you understand that were it not for some forehandedness, Omaha right this minute would have its industrial district almost completely washed out. I hope that won't happen. I hope it will be controlled and that this won't happen.
The only reason that it won't happen is because we are a little forehanded here and have made some construction that ought to have been made from the head of the river-the Missouri river to its mouth, and from the head of the Mississippi river to Cairo, Ill., and those little rivers in Illinois and Indiana that contribute to disaster and loss.
I hope--I sincerely hope--that this instructive meeting which we have had with General Pick of the Engineers, who has explained the whole situation to us, will have the effect that will cause us to get this job done.
Now we have got an economy wave on in the Congress. I had an economy wave before the budget went to the Congress. They have been wiping out some of these most important projects which I put into the budget. Two of these up-river dams that General Pick was talking about have been almost completely taken out of the construction program. That should not be done. I made the budget just as tight as it could be. I put in everything for flood control that I thought we could possibly stand. And I hope--and I am doing a little lobbying myself now--that the Congress will stick to that budget on flood control which I sent to them.
Now, my friends, you know the facts. I have seen this thing--I have seen every great flood that this country has ever had in this valley. This is the breadbasket of the Nation. The breadbasket certainly should be protected. And it can be protected.
That doesn't mean that I am not for projects that are necessary in every other part of the country. I was out in Oregon and Washington when the Columbia River caused so much damage out there, and when the Willamette River was on a rampage. I am just as anxious to see that stopped, I am just as anxious to see flood situations out in the Rio Grande Valley met as I am to see this one met, because I have, as I said, a nationwide public service job. That's all I do. That's all I am, is the Nation's public servant, to see that we can do what is best for the most people. I didn't come out here to make you a Democratic speech, either.
Thank you very much.
NOTE: The President spoke at 2:25 p.m. at the Offutt Air Force Base, Omaha, Nebr.
The seven Governors that met with the President were Val Peterson of Nebraska, Sigurd Anderson of South Dakota, C. Norman Brunsdale of North Dakota, William S. Beardsley of Iowa, Walter J. Kohler, Jr. of Wisconsin, C. Elmer Anderson of Minnesota, and Adlai E. Stevenson of Illinois.
During his remarks the President referred to Lt. Gen. Lewis A. Pick, Chief of Engineers of the United States Army.
For further information on the President's 1951 flood program in the Midwest, see 1951 volume, this series, Items 158, 162, 163, 183, 185, 196.