NO SIGNS OF RAIN

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 36, 11 August 1930, Page 9

NO SIGNS OF RAIN

DROUGHT IN AMERICA

DISASTROUS EFFECT

PRESIDENT ORGANISING RELIEF

United l'rcss Association—By Eloetric l'oUgraph—Copyright. (Received 11 tb August, 10 a.m.) WASHINGTON, lOtii August. President Hoover has ordered a conference of Governors of twelve States to decide upon inothpds for drought relief. Weather reports still continue poor, ami there are no indications for ruin at presont. A twelfth of the livestock of a million families have been found badly affected. Typhoid and pellagra epiflemies are feared in several quarters, Temperatures continue high, Washington has suffered its tenth day of over 100, with high point at 10S.

With President Hoover in his sumuio)' camp in the Virginia mountains only a few miles from where volunteers are eonibatiug a large forest fire, and reports to-night from forty-eight States showing that nowhere is 'there ,auy appreciable rainfall, the nation is battling with the worst drought in its history.

Economically the drought will eojnparo with last winter's industrial and .financial deflation in the seriousness of its after-effects. WIDE AEEA STEICKEN. The middle and western States, of Illinois, Missouri, , Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Kansas, lowa, Indiana, and Arkansas have reached tho point whevo nothing short of national aid will carry through a largo proportion of marginal producers, who otherwise will bo wiped out. It was announced to-night that the railways, under a Federal mandate, will reduce freight rates on supplies for afflicted farmers.

President Hoover's week-end has been turned into an emergency relief-plan-ning campaign, He has summoned other Federal officials for advice. Immediate measures, such as those during the Mississippi floods, for the relief of suffering, and permanent measures for rehabilitation are planned, The Bed Cross has announced the mobilisation of all its national chapters for the administration of immediate aid.

If it is remembered that only three States—Washington, Oregon, and California—normally depend upon irrigation in summer, and therefore are unaffeDtqd by the protracted heat and lack of rain, a fairly accurate conception of the extent of tho damage can be gained, From Northern New York to the Mississippi Delta, to the northern tip of Idaho, there is "stagnant air," hot winds, and blistering temperatures. Itivors, creeks, and lakes have reached record low levols.

Large forost fires in New England, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, and sporadically throughout the nation, have "baked?' the fruit orchards. Tho milk supply has dangerously diminished, Maizo fields are burning up at the rate of three million bushels a day, and the pasturage of ana-fourth of the country has been virtually destroyed. Kentucky's famous blue grass ha,B been turned white, and its small garden produce areas have been wiped out, KECORD OF DEVASTATION. This is the record of devastation produced in six weeks of so-called dry, weather. The weather bureau, more-1 over, announced to-night that tho weather will continue fair and warm, with no relief in sight throughout the greator part of tho country.

Paradoxically the cities are the greatest sufferers. The water supply in all the large cities has been seriously depleted, and many communities are employing sources which are believed to be contaminated. The health authorities are asking that such water be boiled before being used. In Virginia cities there are many cases whore police patrols are'boing used to see that the water is used for household purposes only. Lack of milk has resulted in an inqrease of price, notably in New York, whore an added cent to the price of tho quart will mean a burden of millions of dollars. Fruits and vegetables are no longer freely available, even in New York, which has the best distributing system in tho country, and prices have mounted and inferior foods are freely dispensed.

Whether the situation will roach the state of a national calamity will be decided within the coming week, depending upon the rainfall necessary to save the remnants of many crops.