ABSTRACT
The year 1931 was a difficult and pivotal one for the Nationalist Government. In many ways the events of that year represented the second critical juncture of the “Nanjing decade”. Some domestic and international political and economic forces produced a distinctive tenor to Nationalist Government reconstruction programs, in general, and Huai River management, in particular after 1931. Following the final adoption of the Huai River Engineering Plan in 1931, the Huai River Conservancy Commission (HRCC) effectively ceased operations. This was not only because of the flood, but also due to a complete lack of money. As the HRCC sought technical advice from the League of Nations and attempted to raise funds for the Two-Year Plan, there were increasing calls to unify water control administration. In December 1934 the National Government directed the HRCC to be placed within the administrative structure of the National Economic Commission.
