The evening times., 1900-03-12
FOR THE GREAT LAKES.
The Old Cruiser Michigan May he
Replaced by ~ New Vessel.

Secretary Hay. in his report to the
President regarding warships on the Great
Lakes which has been presented to Con-
gress, removes the obstacle which has
prevented the Navy from using the appro-
priation made two years ago for the pur-
pose of replacing the antiquated cruiser
Michigan with a modern cunboat, and the
Navy Department is expected to take
prompt advantage of the fact.
As now regarded by the Navy Depart
ment the Rush Baget agreement is not
the bugbeaT il seemed to be in the estima-
tiOn Of recent Secretaries OF State, nor is
it any longer believed to prevent the ship
builders OF the lakes from competing for
the construction of training ships or tor
pedO boats. especially when the latter are
to be armed only on reaching salt water
Secretary Hay says
An agreement was reached between the
two governments on May 90. 1898. for the
creation of Joint High Commission to
which should be referred for settlement
various pending questions between the
United States and Canada. among which
was a revision of the agreement of 1917
respecting naval vessels on the lakes. -
The instructions given to the American
members OF this Joint High Commission
on the subject referred TO in the resolu-
tion Of the House of Representatives as
representing the views of the Government
of the United States were that ii was de-
sirable to secure a declaration or recog-
milton that il was not contrary to the
true spirit and intent of the arrangement
of 1917 TO build vessels of war upon the
Great Lakes or in its ports. provided they
l.
those lakes. 1t was held that the evident
meaning Of the arrangement, especially
when read in the light of the correspond
ence leading up 10 it. was that only such
armed vessels as described should thence
forth be maintained in those waters
Lake Ontario was shut up by the rapids
Of the st. Lawrence and by Niagara Falls:
the lakes above Lake Erie were shut in
by the rapids of the st. Clair River. and
Lake Superior, in turn. was separated by
the Rapids of Sault Ste. Marie There
was. therefore, no navigable connection
between them and the ocean. Under such
circumstances to build and arm vessels on
the lakes meant Ito maintain them
there and to use them for no other pur-
pose than as a part of the permanent ar
mament. The language Of the treaty,
therefore, was not improper at the time
Moreover. at the time of making the
arrangement the region of the Great
Lakes was in large measure an uninhab-
tied wilderness. Today the lakes are high
ways for an enormous traffic and their
ports are great centres of manufacture
and industry, and can afford to the United
States facilities not dreamed of in 1917,
They have. among other things, peculiar
advantages for the construction of certain
classes of war vessels. and their facilities
in this respect are capable of large ex-
tension, and of development which. in
the future. may be of inest:mabIe value
to the United States.
For these reasons the Government of the
United States regarded it as entirely con-
sonant with the spirit of the arrangement
of 1877 to use those naval facilities. and
to do so upon a full understanding with
Great Britain that its building of war yes
sells uDon the Great Lakes is in no way
hostile to the arrangement or intended
TO increase the permanent armament to
be there maintained The Joint High
Commission was therefore instructed to
secure some agreement whereby under
proper conditions such vessels should be
and passed through the Ca
madam canals to the ports of the United
States on the Atlantic Ocean,
1t was likewise held that proper con-
of the arrangement did not pro-
hibit the maintenance on the lakes of yes
sells properly equipped for the purpose of
training seamen and reserves in the Mid
die States. and that the employment of a
proper training ship is not necessarily
hostile to the spirit of the arrangement
ard should be so declared.
It is understood that some satisfactory
was made in the Joint High Com
mission toward the attainment of these
ends, but the labors of the Commission
were suspended without reaching a def