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<br />002383 <br /> <br />..'., ..~~..... <br />;_:~~~~,;,3 <br /> <br />2 <br /> <br />WATER IliESIOUROEl DE:VELOPMENT PROGRAMS <br /> <br />When the problems or comparative velocity, scope, and rate or de- <br />velopment are considered, the sequence is reversed with Russia already <br />on top. The Federal Power Commission study on the basis of in- <br />crease in overall power-generating capacity, which reflects velocity <br />,and scope, shows the United States increase as 96.8 percent in the <br />years 1948 to 1956 (last available) with the corresponding Russian <br />'mcrease for the l?arallel period 137.8 percent. <br /> <br />TREMENDOUS INCREASE IN 27 YEARS <br /> <br />. Still farther narrowed to the single year 1955-56 and restricted <br />to hydroelectric. power only. (ignoring thermal power in an inquiry <br />restricted to river and related water-resource development) a De- <br />partment of Commerce, Bureau of Foreign Commerce, routine listing <br />places the I-year listing of Soviet increase at 25 percent. A further <br />study of the same agency over a wider 27-year period, 1928 to 1955, <br />embracing overall Soviet generating-capacity increase, lists the in- <br />crease at 3,402.0 percent. All these and other figures are from offi- <br />cial public reports, none calculated for the purpose of this appraisal. <br />. It is significant that all sources consulted, mside and outside the <br />United States Government, are in substantial agreement that in rate <br />. and velocity of accomplishment, in contradistinction to absolute totals <br />attained, the Soviets are now outstripping the United States. This <br />apJ,>lies to the four principal areas of water-resource development ex- <br />ammed. The verdIct from all sources as to trend and dIrection is <br />unanimous. <br />There is a wide variation among the sources as to degree and <br />measurement of the accepted trend, and even more dramatic disagree- <br />ment as to details and their significance. In fact, the chairman's <br />forecast, made in requesting the study, that-- <br /> <br />While there is !I wealth of iiI-assorted !lnd uncataloged information on this <br />subject available, it is anticipated considerable will be conflicting, out of date, or <br />incomplete-- <br /> <br />has been fulfilled in the revelations of the actual survey. <br /> <br />INDIAN GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY CITED <br /> <br />Just one human in the world was found who qualified on a compe- <br />tent, personal eyewitness basis to make "such distinction between <br />promise and performance as is possible" as stipulated in committee in- <br />structions. He is Konwar Sain, a recognized international authority <br />and technician who is the chairman of the Nehru Indian Government's <br />Central Water and Power Commission. That office combines in India <br />many of the river-development functions scattered in the United <br />States Government through the Bureau of Reclamation, the Army <br />Engineer Corps, and the Federal Power Commission. He has hauled <br />this reporter all over India exhibiting that land's vast and increasing <br />irrigation programs (that waters al?proximately three times the irri- <br />gated area of the United States) WhICh he su;pervises. In turn, he has <br />-.:>ersonally inspected most of the major Umted States developments. <br />Further, he has recently completed multiple-month, multiple thou- <br />sands of miles of inspection trips, accompanied by his own trained <br />staff of experts through Soviet Russia and Communist mainland <br />China, emerging as the only known man who, by virtue of recently <br />