Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-08-17
ONE STROKE OF
ENGINEERING TO
ADMIT SHIPS
Kiwanians Told How to Bring
Service of Seven Seas to
Central West.

The project to drown out the rapids
OF the St Lawrence river with a great
dam and at one stroke Of engineering
open the interior Of the continent to the
ships Of the seven seas while enormous
electrical energy is generated to replace
our wasted coal resources, is less costly.
Is more urgently needed, and viii have
more immediate economic advantages
than any other similar enterprise IN his
tory" said DR.. R. S. McElwee, ex-direc-
tor Of the United States bureau Of foreign
and domestic commerce, in speaking
today az the weekly luncheon Of the XII
wants Club. In the interest Of the lakes to
the ocean waterway project.
DR.. McElwee is touring the middle
western States under the auspices OF the
Great Lakes-St. Lawrence TkdewateT As
ISOLATION. He recently returned from
tour Of the proposed route.
MUCH WORK DONE
ON SURVEY.
While director Of the commerce bureau
made a special study Of the possibility
al obtaining access to the sea from the
Great Lakes. its influence on the transpor-
tation system Of the continent, Its in
fuence on the productive ability OF the
Middle West and its influence on the ex-
port ability Of inland States.
In continuing his address before the
Kiwanis Club today he said, in part:
THE feasibility Of this project is es-
tablished by the report Of the engineers
submitted TO the international joint COM
mission. Few people realize how much
work has been done on this survey. IL
has completely covered the ground so far
as the major outline Of the plans is con-
A 81 haz AAnafnn
for a daai which will give slack water oil
the wav frrm Lake Ontario to the inter-
national boundary, at which viii De de-
velOped nearly 100000 horse power. be
low this dam there will be two short
canals 10 pass the rapids In CanaOa.
" hen this IS done and the new Welland
is completed. ocean going vessels eau
come up to Lake Erie drawing twenty
FIVE feet Of water and above Lake Erie
the present channels will Accommodate
vessels drawing twenty feet.
POWER WILL
PAY FOR JOB.
THE cost is estimated at S275.O00Ooo
including power installation. Spread over
six years and divided between the two
countries in some fair proportion, II
would be no financial burden. But il is
perfectly feasible to finance the construc-
tion BY the same methods employed by
the Province Of Ontario in its great power
development so il can be done without
depending on appropriations from the
treasury. There is need Of this power
which can he marketed as fast as IL is
developed. The power will pay for the
Job.
Our recent experience in transporta-
ton shows how urgently II is needed.
las a transportation project II is en-
tirely feasible. Nobody supposes that the
present Great Lakes carriers viii go 70
sea They are not built for that. They
will have enough to do transporting ore
- 10 los uwd a .
commerce and industry develop the fleet
Of lake carriers will be larger than 1t is
now.
There may be In time a special type
developed especially for coastwise service
between lake and Atlantic ports. But
commerce need not wait that. Ocean
going vessels. the same types that now
carry the worlds trade. can and viii
come up the lakes as soon as the pass
age Of the st. Lawrence Is opened. Not
the great ocean greyhOunds, the noating
palaces. But those boats constitute only
a small proportion OF the merchant neet-
Even N New York they are only small
fraction Of the number Of vessels arriv-
ing and many great ports never see one
Of those vessels and could not admit them
II they came. The woEld's trade is car
RED on in boats that could come up the
lakes Three f0urths Of the vessels pass
ing through Panama are Of the smaller
type. The Mediterranean and Black Sea
ports have no greater depths than the
lake ports And there will be hardly
fifty miles in which the boats must 80
slowly because Of restrictued channels on
limited depths. All the rest is clear sail
in~ with ample water under the keels for
full speed.
CONNECTS WITH
PRODUCING SECTION.
The St Lawrence route is as logical
as the Mediterranean. Nobody thinks OF
H. ha 81
Sea: everything goes around by waten,
When We consider that vessels 90 through
the Kiel canal 10 save 400 miles around
Denmark is there any doubt they VIII
come up the st. Lawrence and through
IT'S short canals TO reach the greatest and
richest producing section in the world :
The vessels that come up the lakes
or 20 down 70 sea from the lakes VII
not Ie competing with other vessels, but
with the interior rail haul and the very
costly transfers at the Atlantic ports.
Terminal expense is a larger and larger
proportion or the cost Of tnansporta-
tion. More than half the cost OF going
from Chicago TO New York is in the last
fifty miles and the approaches to New
York terminals. Il costs more than
water and takes longer.
Calculations have been made showing
that with rates far less than the present
rail and vessel charges. boats can make
handsome profits on lake cargoes for
coast points or overseas
The country needs this development
both for navigation and for power. II
will make possible the development OF
the interior. which is now forbidden. and
n will give an enormous stimulus IN
industry. We are too apt to look at I'M
mediate results and ignore the long view.
It VIII not do 70 take a thirty day view
OF the United States. We must plan for
the fan-reaching benefits to the whole
people. 10 those now living and the fu-
ture generations"