Evening star., 1927-12-07
ALI Lake Interests Pleased
By Hughes Report to Court

All parties concerned seem to find
cause for satisfaction in the report of
Charles e. Hughes as special master
for the Supreme Court in the mat
ter of diversion of water from Lake
Michigan to the Chicago drainage
canal. Chicago welcomes the Vlndlca-
tion of it's right to divert water under
n War Department permit, Whlle
other communities on or near the
Lakes see a victory for their point OF
view in Mr.. Hughes holding that no
vested interest has been created Tor
the Chicago sanitary district, Whlch
is operating under a revocable
license, and that final authority over
the whole thing rests with Congress.
eff it is entirely convenient" OBJ
serves the Chicago Daily News, for
the sovereign States of Wisconsin,
Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsyi-
vania and New York, together with
the numerous choleric lake cities rep
resented by those sovereign States,
Chicago graciously will accept thelr
apologies now instead of later, since
they must be thoroughly ashamed OF
themselves, in the light of Charles
Evans Hughes report on the lake
water diversion case, for the disgrace
full and baseless charges they nave
made against this city. The Dally
News declares that "Mr. Hughes de-
scribes in vigorous language tne
shocking results that would lnevltaply
follow should the complainants have
their wav and so shut off the flow
of lake water into the sanitary dis
trict's main drainage canal.
In short. the complainant states IN
the pending suit are asking that con-
ditions perilous to the point OF ruin De
forced upon Chicago. 1t re-
mains only for the city's detractors
to acknowledge their fault and JOIN
with Chicago in bringing ABOUT
through right congressional action,
complete restoration of lake levels by
the simple method long advocated oy
Chicago's engineers"
X X \ X
cit is not a victory for Chicago in
the real issue involved" asserts the
ST. Paul Pioneer Press, however; II
merely transfers the fight to prevent
Chicago's appropriation OF water IRON,
the Great Lakes from the purely leSal
jurisdiction of the Supreme Court 10
the broadly discretionary authority OF
Congress- while the Milwaukee jour
nal draws the conclusion that these
States are justified in insisting that
War Department engineers exercise
the full authority conferred on them
to get this lake diversion reduced and
finally stopped"
Lake Michigan does not belong to
Chicago" declares the Detroit News.
'It belongs to all the people OF the
United States, and they. through Con-
eress. can determine how much water
Chicago can take. Is that victory lor
Chicago? 1t is a victory for the peo-
pie of America, victory Tor common
sense. 1t remains to be seen
whether Chicago is greater IN Con-
gfess than all the rest of the Union
We don't believe it."
"If Chicago crows over this victory
says the Duluth Herald, 1T Will crow
prematureiy, for neither the war De-
partment nor Congress will ever per
nit any diversion that imperils the
channels of the Great Lakes highway.
nor will they violate the international
treaty that protects the rights or can
ada. to this water" The Madison Wis
consin State Journal states that the
report "disposes of the Chicago con-
tention that the flow of water through
the drainage canal is nobody DuSl-
ness, and in that particular Is a victory
for the protesting States On the other
"he finds that the present water diver
sion is satisfactory and legally au-
thoriZed under the power of Congress.
which makes the immediate practical
effect of the decision vindication of
Chicago"
X X X
Condemning Chicago's arrogance"
but admitting that there is no doubt
that the report constitutes an impor-
tant victory for Chicago's side of the
case" the Kalamazoo Gazette con-
cludes: 1T is unthinkable that If the
issue Is brought squarely before Con-
gress that body will place it's approval
upon any Chicago scheme which in
wolves the further damaging of lake
harbors, the continued lowering of
water levels and the wholesale injury
of Great Lakes commerce" The New |
York Sun finds that the report 'by /
no means grants to Chicago a blanket |
right to divert from Lake Michigan
all the water II sees fit; that Con
1%.