Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-15
BY FREDERICK EDWARDS.

~ ETWEEN those two extensions of
- the st. Lawrence River which
are called, respectively, Lake ST.
IL Francis and Lake st. Louis, %
miles west of Montreal. there
now is being dug, at cost of $75,0OO,-
600, a 15-mile-long, half-mile wide ca
nal. which is destined powerfully to in
f1uence the progress of that ambitious
project generally-and vaguely-Spok-
en- Of in the United States and CANADA
as the st. Lawrence Deep Waterways
Scheme"
This cut, about which the people of
the United States, it would seem, know
little, is the BeauharnoiS Canal. The
st. Lawrence deep waterway scheme is
being talked about unendingly; but the
Beauharnois Canal is being dug.
1t is estimated that the existence of
the Beauharnois Canal wall delay the
international development of the St.
Lawrence deep waterways for 10, is, or
20 years 1t is not impossible that The
canal may destroy entirely for this
generation all hope of any agreement
between the United States and Canada
looking toward exploitation of the upper
st. Lawrence as an international Great
Lakes o-the-Sea thoroughfare. With
out question it will postpone the issue,
by the simple process Of rendering such
DEVELOPMENT unnecessary from the Ca
madam point of view.
For many years the idea of interna-
tional development of the tremendous
power and navigation possibilities of the
St Lawrence has been a matter for
discussion between the United States
and Canadian governments, together
with the successive administration of
New York State and the Province of
Ontario, all of whom are directly inter-
eStad in such an evolution.
Progress of CONSTRUCTION.
Meanwhile, in the Province of Que
bee, entirely through Canadian territory,
the Bsauharnois artery is being Gre
ated. Construction has progressed to
the point where delivery of 100000
horsepower is promised by October /,
1892 This capacity is to be increased
to 100000 as rapidly as additional units
can be added and the ultimate aim is
900 600 horsepower, the largest power
production in the world delivered from
single power house.
AT the same time a ship channel 900
fest wide with minimum d5pth OF II
feet, is being carved out of prehistoric
clay at cost of $16,000,00O.
Statesmen and politicians on both
sides of the border have given serious
tional development. The project has
been hailed with acclaim and viewed
with alarm. There have been confer
@n,es at ottawa and Washington, at
Albany and Toronto. Plans have been
outlined, engineers have been consulted.
books have been written, even legislation
has been passed.
At Beauharnois village there is a pros
porous paper mill. Probably the equWa-
lent of that mills output for one fear
has been consumed by Jealous journal
lists eager to proclaim to the world the
virtues, or mayhap the vicea of~thF in
ternational development, idea. BuEwith
all this vast exbenditTd Of energy, not
a shovelful of SsiI-has been lifted to-
ward the completion of the plan.
The disputative interests involved
have been chiefly the division of power
and NAVIGATION rights and privileges;
fhe claims of the State and provincial
governments of New York and Ontario
To the bed of the river on either side. UP
to the international boundary line;