Evening star., 1926-03-11

In ancient days when men used
horses instead of gas to propel them
over speedways they had an adage.
Never look a gift horse in the
mouth"
Today the Federal Government is
actually investigating the teeth" of
a $3.50 ,000, 900 gift offered by the State
Barge Canal, to be converted at Gov
ernment cost into a ship canal, con-
Meeting Lake Ontario with the Allan
tic Ocean. Shall 1t be accepted is the
question which confrontS commits
sion appointed by authority of the last
Congress. Already the board of engi-
neers of the War Department has for
mulated its report, but although the
report is yet secret" it is a very
open secret that it's decision is ''No." !"
It will be published In few days
after the present hearings are COM
pleted.
1t is obvious that a refusal of gift
of hundreds of millions of dollars must
be based upon weighty reasons, even
though it is the Government which
declines.
The question lies between the
building Of a ship canal in COOP
Grafton with Canada, partly through
Canadian territory but with an irrev-
ocable treaty giving the United
States equal rights in navigation, or
constructing an "all-American" Canal
out of the existing Barge Canal, from
Oswego on Lake Ontario to the Hud-
son River. above Albany, thence
down the river to New York City.
This waterway would be 200 feet wide
and 81 feet deep.
The Barge Canal has been offered
to the Government by Gov. Smith Of
New York. Although the offer has
not yet been officially sanctioned by
the New York Legislature, there is
| said to be no doubt that it will so
sanction, for the Barge Canal has
been a failure in traffic, and is a con-
tinuing loss to the taxpayers of the
State.
Col. Frederick S. Green, superin-
| tendent Of public works of New York,
in testifying before the War De-
partment River and Harbor Board
| last Tuesday, said:
should have carried 2O000,000 tons
annually, whereas it only actually
carried 2,343,013 tons last year"
The Barge Canal is only IL feet
deep, therefore it cannot carry ocean
vessels. 1t has more than 1872 bridges
with a clearance above the water of
only Is feet, hence it requires a very
| low boat to pass under the bridges.
| To deepen the draft to 27 or 80 feet
! would not admit ocean traffic with
out raising all the bridges to a
height Of 1872 feet above the water,
or converting them into swing
! bridges, requiring that they be swung
open when vessel passed through.
| AS they average a bridge every
miles or less, it would require con-
| tinual opening Of bridges with con-
| sequent delay to both maritime and
road traffic.
| X X X *
The advocates Of the "All-America
Canal" including the Secretaries of
the War and Navy Departments, say
| that it Is important because of national
defense consideration. They point to
the possibility that in case the United
States were at war with a nation
with which Great Britain was at
peace, Canada would not be able to
permit our war vessels to pass
through her territory. without violat-
ing neutrality laws.
| In answer to that objection, the ad-
herents of the joint canal project
the Welland Canal. above Niagara
Falls, connecting Lakes Erie and On
tario, and the canals around the rapids
of the st. Lawrence River-point to
our perpetual treaty, giving us vested
rights forever in navigation of the
St. Lawrence River, even that part
cunning wholly in Canadian territory