Address at the Dedication of McNary Dam, Walla Walla, Washington

Governor Patterson, Governor Langlie, and Members of the United States Congress, distinguished guests, and my fellow Americans:

Before I begin the more serious parts of my address, I wonder if you would mind if I would communicate to you an odd thought that occurred to me, as I sat here. There was brought to me in emphatic form once, by an old soldier of mine, who reminded me that you could never tell what was around the corner in the world. When I first came back from Europe 2 years ago, and before my friends found that it was utterly futile and useless to try to make me appear better on the TV by the use of paints and stains, they had me in a little room one night, and the man was working very seriously on my face in an effort to do something about it. Finally, in this very preoccupied sort of job and atmosphere that was prevailing, he suddenly began to laugh. And he said to me, "General, we have got ourselves in a funny fix." He said, "Here you are, an old General, trying to turn politician." And he said, "I am a beautician. Do you know what I was in the war?" said, "No." He said, "I was one of your paratroopers."

What made me think of that this morning was the fact that when I first met Sam Sturgis, I was detailed as a young officer to coach a football team and I made him an end, and he worked pretty hard under me for some weeks and months.

Today, I think that all of you would like for me to speak for you in commending him as a brilliant head of a great organization which not only here but throughout our land has built up these great works in flood control, in drainage, in water conservation, and power development-an organization of which not only the United States Army but which America is proud.

My friends, to join you in so important a ceremony--here in the heart of the Pacific Northwest--is indeed a privilege. I am delighted to be here with you on this historic spot.

Our Nation was only 16 years old when, from a point near here, two Americans of great courage--Lewis and Clark--pushed off and floated to the mouth of this great river.

A little over a century ago, a man named McKay struggled over primitive paths in this area. A hundred and nine years ago., a frontiersman named McNary, with his family, reached this almost virgin land to establish his home.

Both of these men had famous descendants--men who have contributed much to the extraordinary growth of the Northwest.

From the McKay family came an able Governor and a dedicated Secretary of the Interior--Douglas McKay.

From the McNarys came the great American whose name forevermore will distinguish this monumental work.

Senator McNary believed deeply in the future of this country. He had the grit and determination to help build that future. In this endeavor he worked side by side with those men of vision of this region who, before the turn of the century, sought to open to navigation the upper reaches of the Columbia River. With that drive for an open river for water traffic came the natural development of hydro-electric power.

Ten years ago, death denied Senator McNary the privilege of seeing his dream come true. But the will to build this dam lived after him.

And may I pause to pay my personal tribute to Mrs. McNary, here with us today on the platform. That the will to build this dam survived-and that today this dam is built--are due to the spirit of distinguished citizens of this region. Especially are they due to an Oregonian who carried on Senator McNary's work and for the past 10 years has labored tirelessly to complete this project--my good friend, Senator Guy Cordon.

I am mindful as well of the sustained effort of many Congressmen from this region, including particularly Congressman Hal Holmes, who have worked in behalf of this and other great projects here in the Northwest.

Now, this massive dam, my friends, means much more than the steel and concrete, more than the genius and the effort that went into its building. It means more than the benefits and the progress--however great--that it will bring to this fortunate region.

This structure symbolizes the purpose of using, for the benefit of all our people, the tremendous natural legacy with which the Almighty so abundantly endowed our land. Wisely and providently we must use and develop these resources, so that each succeeding generation of Americans may share in their benefits. It is for us to see that they shall not be wasted or neglected or denied to generations yet to come.

Now, among these treasures of our land is water fast becoming our most valuable, most prized, most critical resource. A blessing when properly used--it can bring devastation and ruin when left uncontrolled.

It is essential that every drop of water, from the moment that it falls upon our land, be turned to the service of our people. Thus we will save our soil and make it more productive: thus we will develop power, prevent floods, improve navigation, and supply our tremendous and growing domestic and industrial needs for water. So crucial to our future has water become, that I have assigned appropriate surveys and plans concerning it to a special committee of the Cabinet, and to the Hoover Commission as well. These studies, when subjected to Congressional action, will undoubtedly result in the comprehensive water policy that this country has needed since its very beginning.

The wise control of our water resources obviously requires the most skillful and comprehensive planning. This dam, for example, is designed to operate in coordination with similar structures, upstream and down. It is part of a plan to assure the full use of the water resources of this entire river system. McNary Dam is, therefore, representative of the coordination that must mark the development of all of our river systems. It is, moreover, an example of national responsibility properly assumed by the Federal Government.

Just a mile and a half down river is another structure--the bridge at Umatilla. I am sure that you who live here are just as proud of that bridge as you are of this tremendous dam. You have every right to be. That bridge at Umatilla is an example of local responsibility properly assumed.

A major difference between the two undertakings is in size. All of you know that when construction was started on McNary Dam, no local enterprise--public or private--could have financed it, so, realizing that the dam was necessary, the Federal Government gave its support.

The bridge at Umatilla was a much smaller effort. Local enterprise-in this case the county government--was able to shoulder the $5 million loan that made that construction possible. And so, local enterprise did that job.

These two structures illustrate an idea we have been applying in Washington for some 19 months. It is not a new concept. A century ago Abraham Lincoln put it better than anyone else has done. He said, "The legitimate object of government is to do for a community of people whatever they need to have done, but cannot do at all, or cannot so well do for themselves--in their separate and individual capacities."

Now, in keeping with Lincoln's standard, the Federal Government has certain vital responsibilities in such fields relating to the control and use of water as flood control, improvement of navigation, and reclamation and development of land. When in the course of assuming these responsibilities, dams are built, then hydro-electric power is often developed, of great value to the surrounding regions and to the Nation.

I hope that we shall soon have another example of Federal responsibility in the generation of power. I refer to the Libby Dam, which-like this great McNary Dam--is a project requiring the resources of the Federal Government. From its location on the Canadian border, on a tributary of this mighty Columbia River, it will powerfully aid the control of floods, and produce a new means of generating power, all the way to the sea.

I have recently acted to remove obstacles to the construction of that dam. A new site has been selected. A distinguished northwesterner, Governor Jordan of Idaho, has been named Chairman of the International Joint Commission. His intimate knowledge of this area and sound judgment will surely go far to speed fulfillment of our aims, and those of our Canadian neighbors. This project will be brought into existence.

I shall continue to recommend Federal construction of such beneficial projects. New ones will be started.

Such activities as these, my friends, are obviously, as Lincoln said, "the legitimate object of government." But here let us draw our line as he himself did, when he went on to say this: "In all that the people can individually do for themselves, government ought not to interfere."

It is not properly a Federal responsibility to try to supply all the power needs of our people. The Federal Government should no more attempt to do so than it should assume responsibility for supplying all their drinking water, their food, their housing, and their transportation.

To attempt such a centralization of authority and responsibility always starts a deadly cycle.

Parenthetically, may I remark that a region which lets itself become completely dependent upon national funds provided by a Congress-which Congress represents not that region alone but the whole Nation-would frequently find that the funds fail to keep pace with local needs. But the important thing is that as Federal power expands in a region-and I mean Federal authority and responsibility--local enterprise comes increasingly intimidated and discouraged, even though the needs for energy continue to grow. Thus still more Federal intervention becomes necessary. Such a conversion of local regions into Federal satellites poses a threat deadly to our liberties. The Administration in Washington--and the present leadership in Congress--are unalterably opposed to such malignant growth of bureaucracy.

In our devotion to conservation, let us not forget that there are spiritual as well as physical values to protect. Above all else, we must protect the freedom and the spirit of independence of our people in our States and counties, in our cities and towns. Determination to have this kind of freedom gave us this Nation. It brought your ancestors to this Western country. That determination is not only the surest protector of our liberties, it is the principal ingredient in our national prosperity.

Yet, there are some who contend that the development and distribution of hydro-electric power is exclusively the responsibility of the Federal Government. They argue that to permit any State or local government or any private company under governmental regulation to develop such power capacity is to give to a special group an asset belonging to all the Nation. Indeed, in some instances, these disciples of centralized responsibility and authority insist that since the Federal Government should provide all hydro-electric power, it should likewise eliminate competition by providing steam-electric power as well.

Only thus, these zealots would have us believe, can we poor citizens be protected against exploitation against what they call the "predatory" exponents of capitalism--that is, free enterprise.

Now, let's have a quick look at this matter.

In the first place it is, of course, not difficult to be generous with someone else's money. So the individual who wants to build power dams only with Federal money is not directly or particularly concerned with the economic necessity of the project or with the suitability of its location. Secondly, these advocates of centralized government shut their eyes to the remarkable development of this Nation during past decades. They must wonder how such prosperity came about when communities and citizens were free to look after themselves--including their own protection against the so-called local "interests."

These believers in centralization fail to warn us that monopoly is always potentially dangerous to freedom--even when monopoly is exercised by the Government. Curiously enough, they proclaim their fear of a private power monopoly in a county, city or State, but they urge upon us all a gigantic, overwhelming, nationwide power monopoly. But, of course, they also see themselves as the all-wise directors of that monopoly-so all would be well. monopoly, nor do they want a system leading toward it. They know

The American people do not want and do not need to have any such they can have all the power capacity of our streams developed, as needed, without forfeiting the advantages of local responsibility and participation.

Throughout our country are many public enterprises--organized years ago by States, municipalities, and other public agencies--which have long been in successful operation. In hundreds of other instances, power has been and is being provided by private enterprise under the regulatory processes in the particular governmental agency involved. In each instance the people directly concerned by such operations have themselves decided whether they are best served by public or by private agencies.

The issue is not, therefore, public power versus unregulated private power. The issue posed to us is Federal monopoly of power, as against public or regulated power, freely chosen in each instance by the citizens of each area, with the Federal Government coming in as a cooperating partner where this seems necessary or desirable.

Last year, for example, State and local governments were invited to cooperate in power generation without the threat of Federal power control. During this brief period numerous local public agencies and private investors have applied for licenses to build hydro-electric plants. These applications in this Northwest region amount to nearly six million kilowatts. This represents a prospective investment of not less than one and one-half billion dollars. Well over half of this would be invested by public power--not private power--interests.

But the seekers after Federal control of energy are not silenced even by this array of facts. They say that construction of power projects by local enterprise will impede the comprehensive development of this or other river basins.

Now again--let's take a look at the facts.

What they say just is not true. All power projects must be licensed by the Federal Power Commission. Before the Commission grants a license, it must see evidence that the project makes maximum use of the developed resources. It makes no difference who builds the projects-Federal, State, municipal, or private agencies. These requirements apply--regardless.

We should also get this straight: when a project is licensed before a non-Federal authority, it is not removed from public control. Rates and services remain under regulation. And when the licensing period ends, the site can be assumed by the Federal Government.

I happen to hold this conviction: that, here in the Northwest, your own public agencies and your own private companies--operating under both Federal regulation and your own eagle eyes out here--can work in the public interest at least as well as some far-off Federal agency. They ought to do better.

At this moment there are glowing reports on your regional efforts to work out your own problems. Through the Governors' Power Policy Committee, Governors Langlie, Patterson, Jordan, and Aronson are doing great work in assuring this area of adequate supplies of water. More benefits will flow from efforts to further inter-State cooperation on problems that cross the borders of the Northwestern States.

I am especially happy that the power produced by this great new dam will contribute to the finest type of cooperative effort--your own Northwest Power Pool. This arrangement is an admirable modal of voluntary pooling of public and private generating and transmission facilities. Because of it, you citizens of the Northwest have hundreds of thousands of kilowatts of additional prime power that would not exist through independent operation of your various utilities. And in addition--and very important--you have it under your own control--not under the permission of a far-off Washington office holder. This is a splendid partnership--the kind that the Administration will continue to encourage. I might add that this partnership concept has been most ably advanced by your Republican delegation in the Congress, led by Senator Cordon.

My friends, in all of these things that I have mentioned, your goal and the goal of your Government are exactly the same: to assure each citizen of enough kilowatts, when he wants them, where he wants them, at the lowest competitive cost--with the least likelihood of bureaucratic domination from Washington, D.C.

In this effort, we shall avoid extremes. We shall neither withdraw from the power field nor will we federalize all electric power generators in the United States. Instead, we shall continue to advance in a spirit of helpfulness to localities, and in a spirit of cooperation with local citizens.

Where local enterprise can shoulder the burden, it will be encouraged and supported in doing so.

And where local action cannot or should not fully meet the need, we shall have Federal action.

In this way, our people, in their communities and homes throughout America, shall reserve to themselves as many of the basic decisions affecting their lives as possible. In this way, our people will remain free to carve out their destinies as their predecessors did. It was in this spirit that those who preceded you in the great Northwest, in only a century and a half, turned an unsettled wilderness into an inland empire--an empire vastly enriched by this gigantic structure which today we so proudly name the McNary Dam.

Now, my friends, I know that the policy I have outlined for you will satisfy neither group that exists at the extreme ends of this argument. It is not intended to please them. This program, as all other programs in which your Government engages, is designed to benefit the United States of America--160 million people. It is guided and formulated on the advice, the commonsense counsel of the vast majority of Americans. Extremes do not interest me, or the Administration, in the slightest.

Fellow citizens, we have talked today especially of power and water and this great new dam. But it is well that we remind ourselves that these are but part of a commonly-held objective which transcends all partisan and sectional considerations. The objective is that this Republic shall in every way grow ever stronger and more secure--that it may remain at peace in a world freed of the threat of atomic war. We want our America to have an ever growing, vigorous economy. We want every citizen to prosper and advance--with freedoms which daily shine brighter in each community of our land. We shall continue to build the material, moral, and intellectual strength to assure ourselves and our children of an always finer tomorrow.

Toward that stronger and better America, my friends, I know that you will continue to go forward, as self-reliant, courageous descendants of God-fearing pioneers, fortified by your faith in yourselves and in your country.

As you travel that wonderful road, I trust that you will have full confidence, every step of the way, that your Federal Government strides beside you as your true partner. May you always be sure that this Administration is ready to help where necessary, eager as your servant to make the way easier for you and for all. But it will never be willing to assume over you a domination that will rob you of your greatest heritage--your individual liberty and your maximum control over your personal, family and local concerns.

That, my friends, is the kind of government, the kind of America, of which your children and mine will be as proud as we are of our country today.

And now, of course, without a pushbutton, no dedication is possible. General Sturgis has explained to you the workings of this instrument-what will happen about the lights and the sounds--about what will happen in sending an electric current to some machinery--about the lights going on--and then this great and inspiring marvel, the McNary Dam--another portion of it, will be furnishing power to the Northwest Power Pool.

It is with the greatest sense of distinction and pride in the Federal Government's part of what was done in this project that I now, by this act, officially dedicate this McNary Dam.

Thank you very much, my friends--thank you.