The President's News Conference

LOWER MISSISSIPPI FLOOD CONTROL WORK

THE PRESIDENT. I have a question on the lower Mississippi flood control work. On behalf of Secretary Good and myself I have informed Senator [Joseph T.] Robinson of Arkansas that if the Senators and Representatives of the interested States are willing to assume the responsibility by making the request, then we will delay the undertaking of the new work on that portion of the Mississippi flood control covering the so-called floodway from the Arkansas River to the gulf, that is, pending further consideration of that feature. That segment of the flood control work represents about one-third of the total. There has been a great deal of division of opinion and many views have developed lately, both technical and other questions, and I want to give full consideration to these views before settlement is finally arrived at.

That will not involve the other major features of the flood control [p.281] work, that is, the strengthening of the levees on the main river and the tributaries and the New Orleans spillway, or the realignment of the river levees on the Missouri side south of Cairo. That just applies to that one segment.

PROPAGANDA AGAINST NAVAL DISARMAMENT

I have some questions also on recent discussions about naval affairs. I have very little to say about it. The disclosures of interference directly with and by propaganda against the efforts of the Government in its negotiations for international agreement to reduce arms are already so obviously evident as to require that these matters should be gone into to the very bottom.

CALIFORNIA BRIDGE COMMISSION

I have a question with regard to the California Bridge Commission, and in that matter I am awaiting the nominations of the Governor of California. We have selected the Federal representatives, and are ready any time he is able to make his selections.

That is all I have.