The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1928-10-10

time he wrote his message to the legislature
above referred to.
Since then Governor Smith has become
a candidate for president. Twenty-Five
states in the Midwest are associated in the
demand for the opening of the ST. Lawrence
Seaway and are opposed to the so-called
"All-American" route. The exigencies of
the situation clearly demanded that Govern
or Smith must do something to placate the
sentiment in the Midwest if he were to win
any support in this section. So, in his
speech of acceptance he said:
"As governor of New York / have
heretofore expressed preference for
the All-American route, basing my
views on engineers reports made to me.
The correctness of these reports and al
SO of those favoring the st. Lawrence
route have been challenged.
"As president of the United States,
therefore, it would be my clear duty to
restudy this question impartially upon
engineers reports, the accuracy of which
must be above question. When the re-
suits of such study are given to con-
gress, l am entirely willing to abide by
the decision of congress"
One can't help admiring Governor
Smiths adroitness in trying to extricate him
self from dad hole" His statement is
clever in the extreme. But it won't bear an
alysis.
He says that the Correctness of the en-
gineers' reports have been challenged" But
the records show that they have never been
challenged by anyone anywhere except by
Governor Smith and others in New York
who are opposed to the St. Lawrence route.
He says he will "restudy the question
impartially upon engineers reports the ac-
curacy of which must be above question"
BY this he must mean that he will "restudy
the question" upon reports of engineers
whom he will appoint, and that he will COM
pletely disregard the reports of engineers
who were appointed years before the seaway
beanie political question, and whose stand
ing in the engineering world, both as to abil-
ity and integrity, has never been questioned,
even by New York.
He says that "when the results of this
study" of reports made by engineers he will
"abide by the decision of congress-" This is
promise Mr.. Smith can easily keep without
endangering his plans Of blocking the St.
Lawrence Seaway and of promoting the
New York route, for under it he can appoint
engineers who will favor the New York route
and who will spend years in making their
survey, and he can take as many more years
as he cares to in submitting this report to
congress.
Stated in other words, Governor Smith
mr. RI r1 fho Of md
the findings of the most eminent and un-
biased engineers in this country and in Can
ada, and the years of work and study per-
formed by others, all of which has been car
ried on along strictly economic and non-pol-
itical lines, and then spend years in having
engineers agreeable to the New York oppos-
ition make a new survey and a new study
BECAUSE NEW YORK CHALLENGES
THE FINDINGS OF NON-POLITICAL
BOARDS, AND BECAUSE NEW YORK,
AND NEW YORK ALONE, IS OPPOSED
TO THE ST. LAWRENCE ROUTE.
On the other side stands Herbert Hoo
yer, recognized everywhere as one of the
worlds greatest engineers and economists.
From the outset Mr.. Hoover has been an ar
dent supporter of the St. Lawrence route.
At the same hearing at which Governor
Smith declared his unalterable opposition to
the ST. Lawrence project, Mr.. Hoover urged
its construction and has since consistently
endorsed it. AS head of the commission ap-
pointed by President Coolidge, Mr.. Hoover,
after two years of careful study of the en-
gineering problems and the economic phases
of the st. Lawrence Seaway stated in his
report to Mr. Coolidge filed in January,
1927, that:
"The construction of the Seaway is
imperative for the relief and for the
future development of the vast inter-
ior of the continent" and that
1T is estimated that the values in a
single year to the farmers slone would
equal the capital cost of the waterway"
Thus the records show that on one hand
stands Mr.. Hoover, the consistent advocate
and friend of the st. Lawrence Seaway, and
on the other hand stands Mr.. Smith, who
consistently opposed the seaway until he be-
came a candidate for president, when as a
matter of political expediency he seeks to
becloud his old position by promising to IRE
study" the question of whether he shall ia
vor the st. Lawrence route or the so-called
"All-American" route.
To which of these two men would the
voters of the Midwest prefer to trust this
tremendously important problem? To Mr..
Hoover who has earnestly advocated the sea-
way for nearly nine years and who, if ell