Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-13
ROOT EXPLAINS PACTS
Foreign Treaties Discussed
With Senate Committee.
ITS APPROVAL EXPECTED
Secretary of State Denies That
Niagara Falls Is Menaced.
MAY BE OPPOSITION ON FLOOR
Further Inquiry Into Part of Ad-
ministration in Panama Re-
volt May Develop.
ITS APPROVAL EXPECTED
MAY BE OPPOSITION ON FLOOR

Secretary of State Root appeared before
| the Senate committee on foreign relations
today and explained in detail the treaty
negotiated with Great Britain affecting
the question Of the boundary waters be-
tween the United States and Canada. and
also the three treaties relating to the
Panama question.
The terms of all Of these treaties al
ready have been made public. From the
attitude of members of the committee in
questioning Secretary Root regarding
them it appears likely that the treaties
will be reported favorably at the next
meeting.
During the discussion of the treaty re-
lating to the Canadian boundary waters.
the Secretary was asked in regard to a
protest against ratification which had
been received from DR.. ]. w. Spencer of
Washington. DR.. Spencer sent to all men,
bers of the committee a reprint of an
article he had written on the spoliation
or the falls OF Niagara, which charged
that II the treaty is put into effect it will
mean the destruction Of the southern half
OF the American falls. and the running Of
the scenic beauty Of the entire falls.
Sees No Menace to Niagara.
Secretary Root denied that DIR. Spencer
was an authority on the subject treated
by him in his article. He questioned all
statements made by him as to the de-
struction of any portion of the falls.
The protest of Dr. Spencer was not con-
Sidered seriously by the committee.
There may be some opposition from
democratic members to the treaties be-
tween the United States and Panama and
between the United States and Colombia,
oil r1,vI, y,,rhI ret oherc tn
dissipate objections by calling attention
to the fact that treaty also has been
negotiated between Colombo and Pana-
ma, under which the latter is finally rec
ognized by Colombia as a separate re-
public.
1t has been suggested by some senator's
that they may discuss further the part
which this government is alleged to have
played in fomenting the revolution in
Panama. No program has been decided
upon, however.
If opposition is made to the treaties 1t
is expected to arise on the senate floor
rather than in committee.
DR.. Spencer's Protest.
DIR. Spencer. for years an active advo-
cate of the preservation Of Niagara Falls,
who is now in Washington, said today in
discussing the new treaty.
The amount reported by the newspa-
pers shows larger demand on the falls
than anticipated. The effect will be a
diversion of 81 per cent of the mean wa
ter discharge, or 10 per cent of very low
water. 1t means an extra cost for re-
pairing the navigation of rivers, canals
and harbors of from $25,OO0,O0O to per-
haps nearly double, this amount, owing
to the lowering Of lake levels by diversion
at Niagara Falls as well as at Chicago.
ALREADY 4f5 feet of the falls have been
curtailed on the Canadian side. The treaty
means further destruction of some 2W
feet on that side and 500 feet more next
to Goat Island, which is the finest sheet
of water on the New York side of the
falls.
1T means the destruction of the south
ern half of the American falls and the
disruption OF the other part, for only one
eighth of the proposed diversion passes
down the American channel"
Preservation of Niagara.
OTTAWA, Ont, January 13.-Satisfac-
ton Is expressed here over the signing of
the waterways treaty at Washington
One effect Of the treaty will be to limit
the operation Of power companies at
Niagara Falls to those now in existence
and will confine the amount of water
they may divert to $1,000 cubic feet per
second.
This follows the recommendations made
by the international commission appointed
in 1905 for the preservation of the scenic
beauty of the falls
The Chicago drainage canal will be al
lowed to take 10000 cubic feet OF water
per second
American power companies at Niagara
Falls are limited to 10000 cubic feet ner |
second which will allow the development |
Of 10000 horsepower On the Canadian
side the diversion for power purposes is |
limited to 5000 cubic feet, which will give |
$4,000 horsepower.