The herald., 1898-11-29
GREAT LAKE SHIPPING
AS RELATED TO CANADIAN
DEFENSES
New Factors Have Arisen Since the
Ancient Treaty Was Ratified by
Adjoining Nations

NEW YORK, Nov. 2s-A dispatch to the
Press from Ottawa, Ont, says:
In framing their report for the British gov
ernment the Imperial Defense Board have
been guided largely by the existing treaties
between Great Britain and the United
States. Unforeseen conditions have grown
up since the treaties were ratified. The
military and naval situation is in many re-
spects changed. New war factors have aris-
en-; some have disappeared. Facts are
brought out that will appear incredible in
Great Britain relating to the growth of the
American power on the lakes.
The treaties relate to Newfoundland, Lab
rador, the Gulf of st. Lawrence, the coasts
of the maritime province, the fishing grounds
of British North America and the Great
Lakes. Their consideration raises the ques-
tions affecting the security of communica-
tions from salt water to the unsalted seas
of the interior and the navigation of the
Great Lakes, canals and river system form
ing the boundary for more than one thousand
miles. The movement in the United States
for the modification or abrogation of the
treaty relating to warships on the Great
Lakes brings that treaty more particularly
to the front. From various sources in the
United States and Canada, official and un-
official, a striking array of facts and figures
has been drawn, which fully bears out the
United States contention that in case of war
the value of the lake property-hostage mil
hons-at stake on the United States side
would be immeasurably greater than that
on the Canadian, and the position of at
fairs is consequently one in which the United
States is fully justified in considering ade-
quate measures of protection, even If such
measures should be contrary to the clauses of
the treaty.
In the event of the United States and
Great Britain ever being at war, even should
the, former be successful in obtaining con
troll of the st. Lawrence, no American war
ship more than 100 feet in length could be
sent up from the sea through the locks to the
Interior 1t is not much of a warship that
measures less than 200 feet in length Great
Britain holds the mouth of the st. Lawrence
and the greater part of the seventy miles OF
so of canals is on the Canadian side.
While the entire lake marine of Canada. it
appears. comprises less than nine hundred
steam vessels, mostly small, with an aggre
gate tonnage under 100000, one company
alone out of the United States owns 4 fleet
of close onto 100000 tons. The lake ma
rine OF the United States comprises in round
numbers some $500 ships, with tonnage OF
upward of a million and half; and of this
enormous meet, IullN OHe-u -uull the tonnage
is that of steamers. A striking fact is that
some 500 of these steamers are of a tonnage OF
1000 to 5000 each. Several lake steamship
companies at United States ports are found
to own magnificent fleets numbering from
six to twenty powerful vessels, and some OF
these fleets comprise scarcely any steamers
of less than 1000 tons.
The United States. too, is shown to have
all to lose and Canada all to gain in the way
Of steel plants for ship building and dry
docks. The object of contending powers
would be to secure possession of points OF
such vital Importance in naval struggle 1t
seems Canada has scarcely a dock or stee
plant of the larger class to lose, where mod
ern steamers equal to those the United
States owners are constantly putting on thf
lakes could be built or put into condition fol
fighting, or, when damaged. could be re
paired. The United States side. on the other
hand has modern shipbuilding yards in most
of the chief ports on the upper lakes, com
plete modern steel plants and more that
thirty dry docks. of which eight are of the
largest class capable of taking the heaviest
steamers ahoat on the lakes.
1t is not surprising under these circum
stances to learn that the treaty concerning
warships on the lakes is one of the principal
objects of consideration by the Imperial De
fense Board in preparing the material fol
their report to the British government.