Evening star., 1922-06-19
Sectionaism Dictates Form Of St.
Lawrence Waterways Discussion.

AS the middle west sees Il. Canada's S
refusal to discuss the st. Lawrence
waterway at this time" furnishes
the eastern opponents of the lake-to-
the-sea route with the heaven that
has been described as a place where
there Is always some one else to
blame for everything. But in the
opinion of the inland editors, Premier
Mackenzie Kings position Is dictated
solely by the present political situa-
ton in Canada, and they remind
their seaboard colleagues. darkly.
that political situations frequently
Change.
Recognizing the strength Of that
argument, the papers which have al
ways opposed the scheme refrain
from hailing what looks like victory
and instead point out, with the New
York Times, that through Canada
stand time has been gained for sober
second thought about the interna-
tional waterway"
The st. Lawrence project grew out
of Chicago's fondness for Cunard
steamers, according to the Philadel-
phia Bulletin, which tells the story
thus:
Some twenty years ago Chicago
actually had a steamship line to Eu-
rope, but only one steamer went from
Chicago to Europe, and 1t stayed
there, and the other steamers OF the
line did not start But the vision
of Cunad steamers sailing from Chi
cago to all parts of the world has
stayed with the metropolis OF the
northwest. The ambition of Chicago
to be a seaport has spread to Mil
,r,,1>ao opd Grand Hayen and Duluth
all want to be seaports. They have
been reinforced by farmers who have
been told how much cheaper their
wheat would so to Europe II 1t could
go from any lake port to Its destina-
tion without breaking bulk. Hence
association for booming ship canal
and an enlarged ship channel through
the ST. lawrence
This enthusiasm the Bulletin traces
at least "as far south as Kansas
That it has gone as far as kansas 8
City. at any rate. is amply proved
by the Kansas City Journal. which
lists in the. program for 1922" car
ried on its masthead: Make Kansas
City a Seaport" In furtherance of
this program it sees in ''the COM
munication of the State Department
a distinct victory for middle west
interests for ut indicated that Presi-
desires Of this part Of the country
and is willing to do all in his power
toward the consummation of project
SO vital to the welfare of the agn-
cultural districts"
But that communication received
an adverse answer that In the opinion
Of the Buffalo News is "a merited re-
buff" bv which "the Canadian gov
ernment has done the people of the
United States a real service by re-
fusing to enter upon negotiations at
this time"
"The joke Of it," the Utica Press
says, sis that the project is prim arily
a Canadian. one. but the enthusiasm
which has developed IN its favor in
the Lake Superior region on the
American side has evidently made the
Canadians fear they might be spend
ing money which would benefit the
benefit them" Which. the Milwaukee
Journal remarks Incidentally, spikes
one argument of the New York inter-
ests. They have been saying that the
st. Lawrence waterway would benefit
ca1ada Ia more Ns sha 1ae po:,
ment should destroy for good the
petty and unfounded argument Of
some opponents that the project will
simply beneflt Canada at the expense
of the United States" But the Savan
nah (Ga.) News still feels that "cer-
tainly IL Canada Ia not willing to 60
into the project the United States
should be even more unwilling"
Papers representing the lake regions
of the northwest, however, assure Us
that "the great body of opinion In
both countries supports the project az
q great public work comparable to
the Panama canal and essential to the
development Of the interior regions,
to quote the Minneapolis Journal
which goes on to say that the pres
ent delay is caused solely by politi-
cal situation which 1t outlines thus:
misr 3 smbassa:.sd q the nAErey.