“In these momentous days,” Says President Truman of the Postwar Era, “A strong and progressive America must be in the vanguard of the unceasing struggle for enduring peace.”

As the Cold War begins, he ties national security to prosperity .

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Truman sees “a compelling need for an accelerated program for the greater use and control of our water resources,…with domestic productive facilities under a continuing strain to meet the ever increasing demands.”

Rivers and harbors have been at the center of interest since the founding of the republic. Rivers mean navigation, commerce,...

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“In these momentous days,” Says President Truman of the Postwar Era, “A strong and progressive America must be in the vanguard of the unceasing struggle for enduring peace.”

As the Cold War begins, he ties national security to prosperity .

Truman sees “a compelling need for an accelerated program for the greater use and control of our water resources,…with domestic productive facilities under a continuing strain to meet the ever increasing demands.”

Rivers and harbors have been at the center of interest since the founding of the republic. Rivers mean navigation, commerce, hydroelectric power and more, while harbors provide facilities for the commerce the rivers generate, while creating a market for the power. But rivers are formidable, and to dam a mighty one to generate power, dredge a harbor and build breakwaters, control flooding, or engage in water clean-up programs, are very expensive enterprises, which only the federal government can afford to do well. The Rivers and Harbors Congress is a body that meets annually and consists of state delegations and other interested parties, and it reviews options for projects and makes recommendations to the U.S. Congress. The process can be quite political, as being awarded a large project is a major financial boon to an area. So presidents become involved in it, seeking the Rivers and Harbors Congress’s recommendations to achieve their national goals.

After World War II, with the growth in population, business and industry, and massive suburbanization of the country, President Truman saw increasing the available hydroelectrical power, while reducing the crippling impact of flooding, as crucial. And in those early days of the Cold War, he also saw these goals as promoting the national security by augmenting its prosperity. Typed Letter Signed, on White House letterhead, Washington, March 15, 1948, being his official message to the National Rivers and Harbors Convention, in which he articulated his program. “…I would like to refer briefly to the State of the Union message to the current session of Congress. At that time I stated that our third major goal as a nation is to conserve and use our natural resources so that they can contribute more effectively to the welfare of all our people. Last summer I sent the message to the Congress urging that we undertake a program that would provide substantial completion within 10 years of the flood control projects necessary for the protection of the vast Mississippi River basin. I pointed out in that message that the corollary to this control of floods is the harnessing of waters for the productive uses which return to the government a large share of the initial investment. The Congress has recognized the compelling need for an accelerated program for the greater use and control of our water resources. In these momentous days, with domestic productive facilities under a continuing strain to meet the ever increasing demands of the postwar era, this development is a vital necessity. The international situation is such that a strong and progressive America must be in the vanguard of the unceasing struggle for enduring peace. In addition to the appropriations made by the Congress for water use and control programs during the current fiscal year, I recommended the allotment of much larger sums during the coming fiscal year. I feel that this development and protect of work is essential to equip the nation with the greater facilities and strength needed to achieve its growing national and international obligations.”

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