The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-06-17
ST. Lawrence Waterway.

Az the middIeWeSt sees 1t, Can
ada's refusal to discuss the st.
terrence waterway Eat this time"
furnishes the eastern opponents of
tbe Iakes-to-the-sea route with that
heaven that has been described as
4 Mace where there is always
soneone else to blame for every!
thing. But in the opinion Of the
inland editors, Premier Mackenzie
Kings position is dictated solely by
the present political situation in
Canada, and they remind their sea-
hoard colleagues, darkly, that po-
UticaI situations frequently change.
Recognizing the strength of that
argument, the papers which have
always opposed the scheme refrain
from hailing what looks like vic
tory. and instead point out, with
fhe New York Times, that through
Canada's stand time has been
gained for sober second thought
about the International waterway"
The st. Lawrnce project grew
out Of Chicago's fondness for Gu
nard steamers, according to the
Philadelphia Bulletin, which tells
the story thus:
Some 20 years ago, Chicago &C
tually had a steamship line to Eu-
rope, but only one steamer went
from Chicago to Europe, and it
stayed there, and the other steam
ers of the line did not start. But
the vision of Cunard steamers sail
ing from Chicago to all ports of the
world has stayed with the metrop-
oils of the middle west. The ambi-
ton of Chicago to be a seaport has
spread to Milwaukee and Grand
Haven and Duluth; all want to be
seaports. They have been rein
forced by farmers who have been
told how much cheaper their wheat
would go to Europe if it could go
from any lake port to its destina-
ton without breaking bulk He1te
an enthusiastic, not to say fanati-
cal, association for booming a 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 City, at any rate, is
amply proved by the Kansas City
Journal, which lists in the pro
gram for 1922" carried on it's mast
head: Make Kansas City a sea-
port" In furtherance of this pro-
gram it sees in the communica-
ton of the state department dis
tinct victory for middle west in
terests," for at indicated that Pres
ident Harding has responded to the
desires of this part of the country.
and is willing to do all in his
power toward the contamination of
a project so vital to the welfare Of
the agricultural districts"
But that communication received
an adverse answer that in the opin-
ion of the Buffalo News is "a mer-
tied rebuff" by which "the Cana
dian government has done the peo-
pie OF the United States real ser
vice by refusing to enter upon ne
gotiations at this time
The joke of it," the Utica Press
says, lis that the project is pri-
marily Canadian one, but the ell
thusiasm which has developed in
its favor in the Lake Superior reg
ion on the American side has evil
IDENTIFY made the Canadians fear
they might be spending money
which would benefit the United
States more than it would benefit
them" Which, the Milwaukee Jour
nal remarks incidentally, spikes
one argument of the New York in
terests. They have been saying that
the st. Lawrence waterway would
benefit Canada more than the Unit
ed States" and the New York Eve
ming Post agrees that Premier
Kings statement should destroy for
good the petty and unfounded ar
gument of some opponents that the
project will simply benefit Canada
at the expense of the United
States"
Papers representing the lake
regions of the northwest, however,
assure US that "the great body of
opinion in both countries supports
the project as a great public work
comparable to the Panama canal
and essential to the development
rof the interior regions" to QuoGe
the Minneapolis Journal, which
goes on to say that the present de-
lay is caused solely by a political
tuat.on which is outlined thus:
AT the moment the Canadian
premier is embarrassed by the mar
Eowness of the parliamentary mar
gin by which he holds office. Ii he
were to offend certain OF his Prov
hnee of Quebec supporters by too
precip-tate action, his margin OF
one might disappear"