Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-18
New York Governor Saws
Castles Dear Frank" Note
Is Not Official Reply.
POLITICAL ASPECT SEEN
PROBABLE IN DISCUSSIONS
Authority Quoted rs Saying Substi-
tuition of Diplomacy for Com
missioners Apparent"

BY The Associated Press
ALBANY, N. Y. August ls. - Gov.
Roosevelt today made public contents
Of his letter to President Hoover in
which he asked the President to adj
wise me Of the status OF the negotiations
between the United States and Canada
relating to the drafting of treaty COW
ering development OF the St. Lawrence
River in international section for nav
isation and power"
Mr.. Roosevelt's request was based
upon letter he had received from
Frank P Walsh chairman OF the New
York power authority, in which Mr..
walsh said it was apparent" the
United States and Canada intended to
abandon the appointment of treaty
commissioners and negotiate the water
ways question through diplomatic chan
nels.
The State Department several days
ago declared treaty negotiations with
Canada had not been launched
Castles Reply Published.
An informal letter from Acting Sec
rotary Of State Castle to Mr. Roosevelt
acknowledging the receipt of the Roose-
welt letter was made public in Wash
ington yesterday Washington, how
ever. did not make public the New York
Governors communication.
Mr. Roosevelt is understood to feel
that the informal letter he received
from Acting Secretary Of State Castle,
bearing the salutation Dear Frank"
does not constitute an official reply to
his formal letter to the President. The
letter from Mr.. Castle, made public in
washington Yesterday, according to the
Governors ONCE. bore the date August
Is. two DAYS after the Governors letter
was sent from Plattsburgh
The New York Governor dispatched
his letter to Mr.. Hoover while on his
annual upstate inspection trip and
few days after he had conferred ut
Massena Point and in Montreal with
Frank p Walsh, chairman. and Delos
NJ. Cosgrove and Fred Freestone. mem
bers OF the States power authority II
was during this trip that the Governor
received word that treaty negotiations
were under way. The Governor had
asked the President to name Mr.. Cos
grove to the treaty body because of
his familiarity with the States SILL
100000 power project.
May Reveal Programs.
Political experts profess to see pos
Sibility the present situation may bring
the water power development theories
and programs of Mr. Hoover and Mr.
Roosevelt into bold relief because of
the possibility they may face each otter
in the 1882 presidential campaign.
The text Of the Governors letter
follows:
Referring to my letter to you of
June IL. 1891. which was acknowledged
by the secretary to the President under
date of June 20, 1881, beg to advise
you that l have received the following
letter from the power authority OF the
State of New York.
I'm your letter TO the President under
date of June IL, 1881, you requested him
to appoint as a member of the proposed
treaty commission with Canada, Mr.,
Delos NJ. Cosgrove. vice chairman of the
power authority Of the State OF New
York
This letter we understand. was &C
knowledged by the secretary to the
President under date Of June 20, 1881.
Have Held Conversations.
Since that date members Of the
power authority have held informal con-
versations in Canada looking to the
furthering Of plans for dam in the
international section of the st. Law
renee River.
These conversations, it has been
made apparent that the governments
OF the United States and the Dominion
of Canada are considering the abandon
ment of the appointment of treaty COM
misSioners and the substitution therefor
OF direct negotiations through diplo-
matte channels alone between the fed
eIai governments of the two countries
looking TO the drafting OF q treaty
These adviceS seem borne out by
statements in the Canadian and Amer
lean press.
May we again call your attention
to the vital importance that the State
of New York be represented in the ne
gotiationS with Canada and that this
right Is recognized in the fourth con-
clusion of the report OF the United
States-St. Lawrence Commission upon
the development OF shipway from the
Great Lakes TO the sea, submitted BY
President Hoover, at that time Secre-
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