The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-05-17
Association VIII Make GreaI
Display on Trip Down
the River
PRESIDENT ACCEPTS
INVITATION FOR TRIP
Splendid cavaIcsde of River Steamers
and Boats Will Accompany the
Vessels Carrying the Pres
ldent and Others.
BY WATTERsoN sTEALEY.

BY WATTERsoN sTEALEY.
Washington. May 16-tsp ecial. -
When President Taft attends the Lakes
to the Gulf Deep Waterways convention
next fall he Will sail down the Mlssfs-
sippi river from ST. Louis TO New or
leans in the midst of a water cavalcade
of several dozen steamers. Elaborate
plans are being made for this journey
and there will probably be more mod
ern steamers and old Mississippi stern
Wheelers in this water procession than
the Father of Waters has ever seen.
Two years ago President Roosevelt also
steamed down the Mississippi in a wa
ter parade and much was written and
said about the doings on that occa-
sion, but the Roosevelt Journey was
only from the pretty little town of
keokuk Ia, to Memphis. when the Deep
waterways convention was then meet
ing, and was a small affair compared
with what the Taft water trip promises
to be.
To Meet in November.
The Lakes to the Gulf Deep Water
ways convention has been set tenta
lively for the latter part of Novem-
Der at New Orleans, although the date
of the three day gathering Will be
shifted one way or the other to suit
the convenience of President Taftfs
proposed western trip. During the past
week portion OF the executive Gem
mfttee of the Deep Waterways asgoeia-
ton, headed by W. X KavAnaugh of
st. Louis, it's PRESIDENT e. s. Conwa =
of Chicago. vice president; l.. Y. Scotf.
representing the state of Mississinpi
and Philip Werlein OF New Orleans
called upon President Taft and secured
reiteration of his promise to attend
the Deep Waterways convention when.
1t meets in New Orleans Mr. WerIei4l
is president of the Progressive union.
the organiza ton which has during the
past few years been accomplishing suel
wonders in extending the trade of the
Crescent City and bringing its COM
merce to the attention of the rest of
the south.
Taft's Promise.
When President Taft was in New Or
leans-although then he had not yet
been sworn into office-on his way back
to this country from Panama he prom
fsed tentatively to visit the city again
next fall. This promise was secured
from the President by j. NJ. Parke a
prominent cotton factor of the place
but in order to clinch the promise the
representatives OF the Deep Waterways
association last week came here for
the purpose of securing the promise
more definitely in order that arrange
ments for the visit could be worked
out in full detail at an early date
II will go II 1t can be arranged" said
Mr.. Taft, giving the committee his word
and instructing them to confer with
Fred Carpenter, his private secretary, for
the purpose of ascertaining whether any
other engagements had been accepted
that might conflict 1t was agreed that
If there were conflicting dates the date
of the convention would be shifted, but
when Mr. Carpenter ran his eve over tha
pages of the Presidents date book 1t
was found that no such dates interfered
and the engagement for New Orleans
was written into one of the blank pages
for the latter part of November.
Feature of Trip.
The most interesting feature of the
visit of the President will be his trip
down the Mississippi river with the spe-
cal hotilla of river craft that will con-
stitute the escort of the Taft party from
st. Louis to New Orleans. When tbs
Kavanaugh delegation was here a week
ago they did not mention the water pa
rade stunt, but this phase of the matter
was brought TO the Presidents attention
tonight by Representative Rodenburg Of
Illinois, who lives at East ST. Louis, and
by II. ID. Sexton, prominent banker Of
the same place. who called upon Mr..
Taft with q supplemental invitation for
the President TO make the fiotilla trip
down the river. Mr.. Taft replied that he
would be "ticlsled to death" to accept
that invitation
Thus it is apparent that the assoca-
ton which is working for the creation
of the deep waterway that would bring
st. Louis and Chicago tidewater connec-
tons of great value to their trade, are
losing no opportunity to create interest
in their movement. Two years ago they
had President Roosevelt at the Memphis
gathering. This year they are to have
President Taft at the New orleans gath
erins and nearly everybody in toucn with
current events recalls the convention OF
the association during the heat of the
national campaign East year at Chicago:
where both Taft and Bryan We're guests
of honor of the big banquet held in the
interest of the deep waterway at Chi
cago and where both Bryan and Taft
Acame out flatfooted in favor of the
project.
Roosevelt's Plans.
II will also be recalled that President
Roosevelt at one time thought of getting
out into the campaign for several stump
communications 10 the people, ana While
he ultimately refrained from going, this
Chicago banquet was the place which he
had in mind and where he would have
been heard II he had followed his origl-
nal inclinations. There are Is states with
is governors of the Mississippi valley
comprised in the membership OF the
Lakes to- the-Gulf Deep Waterways asso-
citation The project is TO provide
waterway Of a uniform depth of IA feet
from Chicago to the Gulf of Mexico.
There is already the Chicago drainage
canal from that city to Lake Port ILL.,
The idea Is to deepen this canal and
then to continue it from Lake Port to
Grafton. ILL.,, at the mouth OF the Illinois
river from which point the Mississippi
river would be deepened and In places ca
nalized all the way to New OrleanS.