The Indianapolis journal., 1891-01-04
CHICAGO'S BIG CANAL.
Reasons Why the Government Should Build
Most of 1t Blithely Adduced.

CurcAeo. Jan. a-Judge Richard Prem
dergast, in his inaugural address to-day as
president of the Chicago ship-canal trus-
tees. made some notable utterances- After
outlining the present status of the enter
prise and suggesting the immense water
power that will be created at the western
edge of the city on the Desplaines river.
making possible the construction there OF
perhaps the greatest mills on the continent,
.Judge Prendergast said: The general sub
iect of such a waterway 90 it 10
the policy of the State Of Illinois TO CO.
operate in constructing, includes a branch.
which in the peaceful and prohtablekdays
of commercial. industrial and agricultural
activities is not borne In mind by the
masses of the people. and yet which is I'm.
nortant 20 all of them. Ii was stipulated
by Great Britain and the United Stages IN
the treaty of 1917, that both nations should
be restricted to three war vessels on the
Great lakes. and by the terms of the treaty
these were to be of the kind and armament
as then known, the armament being on
each vessel one eighteen-pounder brass
cannon, such as was known at that ume.
sWhen that treaty was made the great
lakes and the vast territories tributary TO
them were o mighty wilderness. Now the
lakes are bordered with regions OF dense
population, and mighty cities are all along
their shores. The British Csnaolan au-
thorities at an expenditure of more than
S2OO, ,0O0, 900, have constructed a series
of Waterways between the lakes ana the
Atlantic sea-board, Of such dimensions
that over one hundred and twenty-five war
vessels on the British naval list can pass
from the British naval station, at Halifax,
into the great lakes, and, In addition, IL has
been the policy of that government TO foster
the construction OF steel vessels for com
mercial purposes. to navigate the Canadian
u otara snacenfi hle of use As armed cruisers
in case of hostilities.
ION the northwest corLer of our country
Is Puget sound, and there on Vancouver
island, commanding that SOUND as com
the entrance to the Mediterranean, is an
other British military and naval station,
remarkable among other things for having
planted on the Notifications there the larg-
iishment of Krupp. So that not
to speak of British military and
naval stations that circle our country
in others, such as the West Indies, and
Bellsle territory. and the islands of the Pa
cifc, we have 1pon our northern frontier
rich, strong and vigorous country and peo-
pie, bound by many ties to England, pre-
senting all along our borders magnificent
military system. offensive and defensive;
and mp to this hour the government OF
the United States has done substan-
TALLY nothing TO meet or cope with
hostile descent from this source.
1t is true that the defenseless condition
of the northern frontier has been presented
to Congress from time to time, but with
very little results if any. May not this
disproportion existing between the prepa-
rations for war on the one hand, and those
on the other, account for the results of
diplomatic correspondence between the
two countries, of which America would
appear to have no special reason to be
proudW
Continuing. Judge Prendergast said the
federal government has surveyed Lake
Peoria, which is but widening of the Illi-
nois river opposite and near the city of
Peoria, and its naval experts and depart
ment have pronounced it an adequate and
valuable site for a government station for
the construction. maneuvering and stor-
ing of torpedo gunboats. Indeed, most
of the investigations and expenditures
made by the federal government in the
Illinois river have had relation to the sub
ject of ultimately perfectlng accessibility
from the Mississippi to Lake Michigan. If
such q station had existed at Lake Peoria
at the breaking out of the civil war. it is
that the backbone of the rebellion
would have been broken year or
two earlier than it was. But of course
such station would be an absurdity in so
far az it relates to the lakes. without q
channel for the passage of vessels from it to
the lakes and there is no doubt that the
construction of the main channel, aided by
the logic of the situation and of events
will compel the construction of the re-
mainder of the waterway by the federal
government with, among other things. the
construction of such naval station near
the city of Peoria.