Evening star., 1932-07-26
BINGHAM SUPPORTS
/ WATERWAY PLANS
Radio Forum Speaker Fore
sees Vast Benefit to
Entire U. S.

Endorsement of the st. Lawrence
waterways treaty on the ground that It's
benefits would aid the whole country
and bring about a reduction in the cost
of transportation from the great Missis-
sippi wheat belt was given by Senator
Hiram Bingham, Republican, Of Con-
necticut last night in an address in the
National Radio Forum on WRC, ar
ranged by The washington Star and
broadcast over a coast-to-c coast network
of the National Broadcasting Co.
Senator Bingham admitted that the
new ocean route Is bound to hurt the
railroads and would be Of no advantage
to Atlantic and Gulf ports. but he said
at will be of enormous benefit to the
wheat and corn growing States and
what benefits them will eventually
benefit the whole country" These
benefits. he declared, would outweigh
the tremendous costs to the taxpayers.
Before the treaty is approved by Con-
gress of the United States and the
Parliament of Canada, he said, 1t will
doubtless be objected to by interested
parties.
Foresees Some Harm.
at will not be welcomed enthusiastic
cally by the representatives of the great
ports on the Atlantic seaboar6 and the
Gulf of Mexico" Senator Bingham said.
1T will work hardship to them and
their port development and the persons
dependent upon It, It Is bound to take
away a considerable part of the ocean
transporting of grain from the ports
of Baltimore, Philadelphia. New York
and Boston, as well as of New Orleans
and Galveston. 1t will be Of no ad-
vantage to New England or the States
of the Atlantic seaboard or the Pacific
seaboard or the Gulf States. They will
have to share the responsibility for part
of its cost. 1t will hurt the railroads
that now derive a considerable part OF
their revenues from freight between the
Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean
and the Gulf, freight that will go, ex-
cept in the Winter time down the st.
Lawrence"
On the other hand, Senator Bingham
pointed out, ito the people of the Upper
Mississippi and Missouri Valleys, who
raise grain and want to sell it to Eu-
rope, it is estimated that the opening
of this waterway to ocean-going vessels
will cause q reduction of about cents
q bushel in the cost of transportation"
Naturally the farmers of the Middle
West and the Northwest are delighted
at the prospect" he added.
As for the impending New York dis
pute over power costs, the Senator
stated the treaty did not touch upon
the relationship of the State Of New
York to the power problem, and this
was left to Congress.
The text of Senator Bingham's speech
follows:
The late Admiral Mahan, when q
captain in the United States Navy, pub
lished number of epoch-making books
which developed the theory Of the great
Importance of sea power and the influ-
ence of sea power on history. Largely
as a result of his writings, the United
States began the construction Of mod
ern Navy. His books made fascinating
reading. They brought out the critical
nature Of victories at sea. They pointed
out that England's greatness had de-
pended on the efficiency of her navy
of1cers and men. Napoleon, with all the
forces of Europe at his command, was
unable to overcome the advantage pos
sessed by the British Navy in its con-
troll Of the sea.
He might also have pointed out that
the strength and might Of England was
due largely 10 her land being surround
ed by navigable waters and excellent
natural harbors. London on the east
and Liverpool on the west became great
because of their magnificent harbors.
But the seamanship of England was de-
veloped in score or more of land
locked harbors. Bristol, Plymouth and
Southampton being among those with
which we are most familiar. No part of
England Is very far away from . good,
deep-sea harbor. This fact has helped
her to distribute her manufactured
vsrJ1N 1NRfc of larr 30 oil r,rk1 -
the world. 1t has also facilitated the
which she herself did not produce.
As one looks back over history It Is
fairly easy to discover that those ma
tions whose power lasted longest had
ready access to the sea- Greece and
Rome on the Mediterranean, China in
the Far East of Asia and the Norwegians
in western Europe have been materially
aided in their development by ready ac-
cess to the sea.
Harbors Are Essential
Coming to the Western Hemisphere,
we note the early development of New
England, due to her many excellent
natural harbors, where seagoing vessels
could come and 90 freely at all times Of
the year. On the shores of the Hudson,
the Delaware and the Chesapeake. in
the ports Of New York, Philadelphia
and Baltimore, access to the sea was the
primary cause for the development of
prosperous communities. On the West
Coast the great Bay Of San Francisco
and the beautiful waters of Puget Sound
have become centers Of industrial ac-
ttvity and the sites Of great cities be-
cause Of access to the sea. Appreciation
OF this fact led the city Of Los Angeles
TO develop great harbor at San Pedro.
1t led the city Of Houston, Tex, 40 miles
from the Gulf Of Mexico, to develop a
Seaway which has enabled ocean going
steamers IN great numbers to aid the
growth and prosperity Of that splendid
city.
In the northern part Of the United
States are eight Of our largest seaports,
Duluth, Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit,
Toledo. Cleveland, Erie and Buffalo. It
IS fair to call them seaports because
they are on those wonderful inland
seas known as the Great Lakes. The
growth and prosperity Of those cities
has largely depended on their accessi-
bility to great freight-carrying steam
ers, which have brought the rich ores
and the great grain harvests of the
Northwest to the industrial cities Of the
East and the terminals for tranSatlan-
tic ocean-going vessels.
On the south New Orleans, Mobile
and Galveston testify TO the Importance
Of ocean-going trade. To sum up, 1t
may fairly be stated that large part
Of the economic growth and industrial
development of the United States has
been due to the fact that we have sea-
ports on all four boundaries-East,
North. South and West Few countries
have been SO favorably located from the
point OF view Of water-borne transit
To be sure, Great Britain is surrounded
by water and has many good harbors.
which, as has been pointed out, enabled
her 10 develop her power and might out
OF all proportion to the size of the coun-
try and the number of her inhabitants.
At the other extreme is Russia, mighty
In extent, great in population. but al
most shut away from great oceans. To
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