The President said:
The drought situation has been the subject of several conferences between Secretary Hyde, Chairman Legge and myself. The Department of Agriculture has undertaken a detailed survey of the situation. They will report next Monday upon the condition in each area of the country. The information so far indicates great variation in the effect of the drought, both as between states, between counties in those states, and even between farms in the same counties. There can be no doubt as to its most serious character in many localities, and that unless relieved there will be real suffering. The maximum intensity seems to lie in a belt roughly following the Potomac, the Ohio, and the Mississippi Rivers.
The measures of assistance that the Farm Board and other agencies of the Federal Government can and should undertake are being determined. It is evident already that large measures of food movement to livestock in the drought areas or movement of animals out of the worst areas will need to be undertaken later in the fall. It is too early to determine the precise character of relief; but no stone will be left unturned by the Federal Government in getting assistance to local authorities. I have asked the railways to investigate the situation from a transportation point of view.