The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-08-12
HQOVER.BACKING
LAWRENCE !.
PROJECT
Completion of Waterway Plan
Inevitable; Only Question
Of Time, He Says
BY ROBERT s. THORNBURGH,
international News Service staff
Correspondent.

ny NUOGSA % LnUNENDO1OO1Ap
international News Service Staff
Correspondent.
BY October American and Cana
dian engineers, who are making
plans for the. st. Lawrence water
ways to render that river navigable
from the Great Lakes to the At
lantic, will be ready to make a
specific report.
This announcement was made by
Secretary of Commerce Hoover,
who is chairman of the American
section of the st. Lawrence Water
ways Commission, appointed by
President Coolidge.
Hoover and a party Of engineers
have just returned from an inspec.
ton of the st. Lawrence, in com.
pany with the Canadian section Of
the commission. I"
"It is inevitable that the ST..
Lawrence waterways project will
be completed" Hoover declared.
THE question is whether now or
at some future time.
Won't Cut Freight.
There are thirty million people
in the general territory that would
be served by this canal, and not
many years will elapse before that
number is doubled. They will de-
mand that they be given the ben.
eft of the cheaper freight rates
to result from completion OF the
| project"
The cost Of the improvement Of
the st. Lowrence will be tre-
mendous, but probably will be
borne equally by the Canadian and
American governments.
Secretary Hoover announced that
| 50 far no definite negotiations
have taken place between the two
interested governments relative TO
the part to be played by each in
the improvements. However, pre-
liminary conversations have made
1t certain both governments are
ready to at least consider going
through with the improvement.
Opposed by New York.
The opposition to the project
centers in New York State, the
New York business interests par.
! ticularly feeling that the canal
would divert a large volume of
commerce from New York's port
and send It abroad through the st.
Lawrence.
On the other hand, the territory
adjacent to the Lakes, both in the
United States and Canada, are
highly favorable. The great Mid
die Western agricultural belts of
the two countries are fighting for
completion Of the project because
| Of the cheaper freight rates It
would give their products sen:
East for export.
Some economists feel it would
put the Middle West in much bet.
ter position to compete In foreign
agricultural markets than at pres.
ent. The Canadians, already pro.
| ducing cheaper wheat than the
United States, would have an
added advantage abroad.
To Open Interior.
Government experts pointed out
On behalf of the project that 1t
practically would convert the big
lake ports like Duluth, Chicago,
Detroit, Toledo. Cleveland, Buffalo,
and others, into ocean ports. II
will be one of the most ire.
nIendous inland waterways projects
ever attempted in the world.
President Coolidge appointed the
st. Lawrence River Commission to
make report to him as TO whether
the present is the proper time to
lunch the project, to determine
the public sentiment in various
sections Of the country, to estimate
the possible cost and to determine
the engineering aspect of the prob.
lem.
1t was expected that during the
autumn or next winter Chairman
Hoover would call a meeting of
Governors and other officials of
States interested to sound out pub
| lie opinion.
Hoover is confident that there is
a great public demand for the
canal.