Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1914-07-10

the NATIONAL CAPITAL
Events of Interest frOn the Sent
Of G@VeTnmcrt.
~ J. z. JONES.
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lake SUPERIOR to Tho Gulf.

nesota have descended upon the FED
erai board Of engineers for rivers and
harbors and have pointed out the
feasibility of q waterway between the
head of the Great Lakes and the Miss
issippi river. This seems to be an era
of canals, since the Panama canal is
about ready for business, while Cape
Cod has been severed to shorten the
distance between New York and Bos-
ton by many hours. Governor Eber-
hardt of Minnesota headed the COM
missioncrs and was accompanied by
State Senator George H. Sullivan of
Minnesota and Ed l.. Peet and John
Chinook, representing the state of
Wisconsin. The gentleman pointed
out that preliminary survey of the
proposed canal has already been
made by the government engineers
who have found that from an ensi-
neering standpoint the plan is entire
ly feasible.
The new waterway is to start at
Allouez bay, near Superior, and the
canal is carried across country for 25
miles, connecting with the Brule
river, which in the time of Grover
Cleveland obtained renown as trout
stream because the presidential ang-
Ter was accustomed to cast his ely"
in those waters. The Brule river and
ST. Croix furnish a direct outlet to
the Mississippi. This water route,
$50 miles in length, will give ST.
Paul and Minneapolis the advantage
of cheap water transportation.
Under present conditions 70 per
cent of the railroad freight between
the head of Lake Superior and the
Twin Cities is coal and it was shown
that the water freight on this COM
modify from Buffalo to Duluth is 80
cents ton, while it costs So cents a
ton for soft coal and $1.20 ton for
hard coal for the additional short
railroad haul from Duluth to Mime
apolis. The commissioners pointed
out that the single item of coal alone
furnishes a reason why canal
should be constructed. The immense
traffic in this commodity would be
met by an equally important demand
for the use of the canal for the trans
portation of -four and general mer-
chandise from ST. Paul and Minneap-
oils, while the wheat and corn pro-
ducing states along the Mississippi
and Missouri would thus be provided
with transportation directly to the
head of the lakes.
The main stickler of the whole
proposition seems to hinge upon
what would appear at first to be a
trivial consideration, and that refers
to the type of barge that would be
most feasible for use on the canal.
1t is explained that this great project
affords means of transportation that
will lessen the cost to the consumer
Of fuel going west and food products
carried eastward. This gigantic en-
terprise will cost from $4,000, 900 to
$1O,00O,00O, but the commissioners
claim that the traffic already in sight
/ is sufficient to pay substantial divi-
dend on the investment from the
start. Senator Nelson and a number
of congressman appeared with the
commissioners and added their sup
port to the demand of Wisconsin and
Minnesota for the completion of the
survey at the earliest possible date.
Our Affairs With the Japs.
The final publication of the cores
pondence between the United States
and Japan relating to California;
anti-alien policy, has developed even
a milder presentation than most peo-
pie at the national capital expected
Japan very successfully made the
Roosevelt, Taft and Wilson admins
trations uncomfortable, and capitol
hill breathed long deep draughts OF
relief when Colonel Goethals let il
/ be known that the Panama canal was
ready to put warships through the
locks in case an emergency. arose
Since then the administration has not
become so excited over the perform
ances of Japan, although it was de-
clared by Senator William Alden
Smith of Michigan that the visit of a
Japanese naval officer to Huerta pre-
cipitated the American attack upon
Vera Cruz.
The Secrets of Congress.
Senator Stone has apparently
thrown wide open the question as to
whether it is advisable to continue
running the government by secret
methods and it is altogether likely
that his challenge to the effect that
senators who have divulged some
thing of the proceedings of the com