The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1931-01-15
HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF

Everything points to that the actual launching
of the Great Lakesto-ocean waterway project is
rapidly approaching and that this dream of the mid
dle-west is soon to become true.
Charles p. Craig, executive director of the Great
declared he believes construction work will start in
1882 and that the treaty with Canada will be ne
gotiated before this year is over.
That is encouraging news That it will prove a
big aid in lifting this section of the country out of
the depression it has been in for The past year or
two goes without saying Assurance that this pro-
ject will be started within the next lew months would
mean good times at the Heaed of the Lakes and
this section of Minnesota almost over night
Last week Mr.. Craig also issued interesting
statement pointing out the parallel between the Suez
canal and the proposed lake-to-ocean waterway He
said:
The Mediterranean from Gibraiter to the Suez
canal, is 2,217 miles long slightly more than
twice the length of the Great Lakes from Duluth
Superior to Buffalo.
Previous to the digging of the Suez the ports
OF the countries bordering on the Mediterranean
had but little commerce with India and China
Trade with the East carried on by England
and Holland. The Mediterranean was a closed
sea, just as the Great Lakes are now closed seas
insofar as the movements Of ocean commerce is
concerned.
Ferdinand de ~Leseps while French consul at
Alexandria, Egypt in 1882, almost 100 years ago.
conceived the idea of joining the Mediterranean
and Red seas by means of ship canal from
Port Said on the Mediterranean to Suez on the
Red sea- Twenty-Five years later. after extern
slve study of the commercial possibilities such
CdndI INK, DeLeSSenS IN 1904 secured
cession from the Viceday, of Egypt subject to the
hnal consent of the Sultan, of Turkey as suzerain
OF Egypt. The sultan refused, out DeLessens
undaunted, invited the ablest engineers of Eur
ope to meet in Paris in 1855 This international
board of engineers after several months of care
full survey reported the plan was feasible land
the solution of the problem of the junction of the
two SEAS"
In 1857 DeLesseps presented the plans to the
prime minister of England for his approval and
backing. He refused, and supported by the
eminent engineer, Thomas Stephenson who de-
clared that the scheme was physically imprac-
t1cable except at expense too great to war
rant an expectation of returns'.pracically the
same words of certain interests in this country
in referring to the st. Lawrence seaway.
Then followed more years Of trial and tribula-
ton for De Lesseps before his conception finally
took form chiefly through financial support of
France. On Aug. Is, 1859 he lifted the first
shovelful of earth saying. I'VE strike the first
blow that shall open the commerce of the east
to the commerce and civilization of the west"
Thus the Mediterranean and Red seas were
Joined in the movement of commerce. Indeed
the trade routes of the world were completely
altered, the average time between London and
India, for example, before the opening of the
Suez was 80 days around by the Cape of Good
Hope and the passage fare $700; in 1875 the sail
ing time was less than SO days and the fare $40.
The ST. Lawrence seaway is a counterpart Of
the Suez canal.
1t will connect the now landlocked Great Lakes
with the oceans and will provide the littoral of
these vast bodies of water, upon which Is found
one of the richest developed and undeveloped
areas in the world. with corridor to the sea-
DeLesseps, against all conceivable odds national
and International But, the midwest will win out
because its demand is just and it's project
a sound one.