The Washington times., 1923-07-27
BY THEODORE WOLD.

Vice-President of the Northwestern
Tor%er Governor eK OF Of the Sinsh Disn o
tFict Federal Reserve Bank.
written for Cosmopolitan News
Service.)
MINNEAPOLIS, July 27.-Ocean
ships going out from Duluth or
Chicago to lay down cargo direct
Cape Town and Buenos Aires!
If trade route changes of the
coming years make a reality of
this forecast, what will be the gen
e-al economic effect upon his por-
ton Of the United States?
Potentially the greatest question
relative to transportation, this mat
ter is today especially timely fol.
lowing crop development to a point
when it looks as If Minnesota,
North Dakota, South Dakota and
Montana will have a large grain
crop and as If the 1923 West Cana
dian grain production will break all
records.
Biggest Commercial Project.
The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence
canal project is the biggest pro-
posal of any time affecting com.
merce in this area. If it be true. as
proponents vigorously assert, that
forty-three million people will be
benefited il il becomes possible for
stear>ers TO go direct to or from
lake ports and foreign ports, then
surely this is a revolutionary and
epoch-naking proposal. Many who
have closely followed development
Of the Dian have kept an open mind
throuEhout
Governor J. A o. Preus OF Min
nesota, after recounting in Wash
ington some months ago the losses
to farmers and others due to insult
ficient transportation facilities in
the northwest States, said, with ref
erence to the opposition of New
York city and Of the Governor of
that State: in the face of condi-
tons that exist annually at crop
moving time in the northwest
States. It is surprising that the
chamber Of commerce Of New York
city and the weII-meaning but mis-.
guided governor Of the State are op-
posing the ST. Lawrence waterways
project 50 that Buffalo and New
York may continue to take toll Of
the farmers labor"
Endorsed in Massachusetts.
Minneapolis financial men have
observed. however, that the asso-
ciated industries of Massachusetts,
the project. Some farm experts
estimate the annual loss to the
northwest States in the harvest
season through lack Of sufficient
transportation facilities at half a
billion dollars.
what win follow If this or a
Gmi1ar plan goes through? 1t will
oe possible then for any boat now
ON the Great Lakes to go down to
tldewater Any ocean boat drawing
twenty-five feet will be able to come
up TO Lake Erie. Any boat drawing
twenty feet can come to the upper
lakes and tie up at the docks of
Duluth or Superior, or go down
Lake Michigan to the docks Of Mil.
waukee or Chicago. 1t is estimated
that So per cent Of the worlds mer.
chant fleet could use this route,
and that IS per cent of the boats
that now go through the Panama
or Suez canal are not too large for
the lake channels.
Approximately 90,000,O00 tons
went through the Sault Ste. Marie
Canal one recent year, and loo, O00.-
600 tons in all passed the Detroit
River. Principally. this was ore,
s coal ana gram. through the pro-
posed channel, commodities in
large bulk going out for export
would move unbroken and the cf-
feet upon the lake-raiI channel,
Duluth to Buffalo. Buffalo to New
York city. doubtless would be very
great.
Present Facilities Inadequate
Conscious OF the fact that trans.
portation facilities of the Northwest
States and their lake connections
have in many seasons been choked
and that quantities of grain at
times have been unable to find
even interior elevator storage pend
ing the breakup of traffic conges.
ton, Minneapolis financial men
are more than ever interested, CO.
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