Evening star., 1922-02-12
PLAN TO TAKE OCEAN
TO THE GREAT LAKES
Various Proposals Before Congress for a
Deep Waterway, and Arguments
For and Against Project.
BY EDWARD n. DINGLEY.

M st. Lawrence deep water
way? What are the main
arguments in its favor and
arguments against it? The purpose
Of this article is to present to the
average citizen and newspaper reader
a brief yet comprehensive picture Of
the high spots in a congressional bat,
tie soon to be staged. 1t is hoped
this brief sketch will offer a we'll
defined background for the necessity
of some sort Of a deep waterway
from the great lakes to the ocean,
wherever located.
Just as a canal through the 18TH
mus Of Panama was the dream of
explorers and the reality of COM
merce and national defense. SO has
some sort Of deep waterway or
canal CON- ecting the great lakes
ports and the Atlantic been the dream
Of pioneers and the hoped-for reality
of the men Of vision.
While the building of the old Erie
canal was the result Of observation
that the strip of territory between
Albany. the head of navigation of
the Hudson river. and Buffalo. the
great port at the head of lake navi-
cation. was the shortest and most
natural and feasible route for the
waterway from the lakes to the ocean,
nevertheless several other routes have
been suggested and not a few tsur-
veyed. The old Erie canal served it's
purpose and gave way to what is
now the New York barge canal. At
present this barge canal is the only
water route from the lakes to the
Atlantic ocean in American territory.
The distance from Buffalo to New
York is $50 miles. The depth of the
barge canal is II feet. In 1920 re-
canal amounted to 37l,049 tons. The
total shipments were eOS,670 tons, Of
which 10000 tons were grain. OF
course. this is a small fraction of
the 100000 or 20.000.000 tons of
grain annually shipped to the sea-
board for domestic and foreign con-
sumption. The most ardent friends
Of a deep waterway from the lakes
to the ocean do not advocate the use
Of the present barge canal. 1t is
entirely inadequate for large vessels.
However. it is looked upon by some
as a monument erected on the most
available and suitable spot Of land
for lake-to-ocean waterway. just
as the first ditch dug by the French
ha 1f Tot q
Of Panama was the beacon locating
the most available spot for the COM
pleted canal.
| X + X
True, the lakes-to-ocean waterway
idea first took root across the reaches
strated the necessity and feasibility
of the idea But now the only ques-
tion is, What shall be the perma-
nent route? Where shall the lakes
to-ocean deep waterway be located
for ages to come, carrying the COM
merce of the great lake cities of the
west directly to and from the COM
mercial countries Of the world? I
conf1ne this query to lake Cities
since only these cities can carry on
a direct shipment to the ocean and
foreign countries. Shipment from
cities farther west must first ship by
rail to the lakes.
Several routes from the interior of
the continent to the seaboard have
been suggested during the last half
century-the New York state barge
canal, the projected Oswego ship
canal, the Richelieu and Lake Cham
plain route. the Mississippi route, the
Pacific and Panama route and the
st. Lawrence route.
What Is the background of the
present situation over this proposed
lakes-to-ocean waterway? By the
treaty Of January II, 1909, signed at
Washington during the administra-
tion Of President Taft, the interna-
tional joint commission was created
| This commission has jurisdiction over
all cases involving the use or OBJ
struction or diversion Of waters form
| ing the international boundary be-
tween the United States and Canada
To this commission may be referred
any questions or matters Of differ
I ence between the two countries in.
volving the rights, obligations or in.
terests of either country.
Il X X X
The river and harbor act of March
IL. 1919. contained a provision that
| "this commission be requested to in.
! vestigate what further improvements
| Of the st. Lawrence river between
Montreal and Lake Ontario is neces-
| sary to make the same navigable fol
| ocean-going vessels, together with
the estimated cost thereof" Secre.
| tary of State Lansing referred nine
/ questions to this commission. each
/. covering points relative to the cost
and operation of the proposed prof.
ect. Two engineers, Col. W. P. Woo
ten for the United States and W. A
Bowden for the Dominion of Canada,
were appointed.
The international joint commission
held forty hearings in the large
cities Of eastern United States and
Canada. The report Of the commits.
! sion was completed and signed De.
| cember -, 1921. The members sign
| ing are: o. Gardner, c. A. Magrath
C. D. Clark. H. A. Powell, NJ. A.
Smith and W. H. Hearst-the entire
commission.
| The high spots in the conclusions
| of the commission may be summar-
lied: It finds that of the various al.
tentative routes mentioned none Of
| fers advantages comparable with
those Of the natural route by way Of