The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-09-15
BY WALKER STONE
Times stan Writer

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15.-In
New York, Governor Franklin D.
Roosevelt's chairman of the state
power authority Frank P. Walsh. is
preparing an indictment of the
Hoover administration handling of
the st. Lawrence waterway negotia-
tons
Out in the northwest states Of
Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Iowa,
Presid ent Hoovers Republican
friends are passing the word around
among grain farmers that Roose-
welt is opposed to the Great Lakes
lican Senator William E. Borah Of
to-the Atlantic Ocean ship canal.
In Washington, insurgent Repub-
Idaho, who thus far has refused to
support Hoover for reelection, and
who has an astounding capacity for
political devilment, plans an in
vestigation by his senate foreign
affairs subcommittee into the st.
Lawrence treaty.
Bulks Large in Campaign
Now in its formative stages as a
political issue, the st. Lawrence
navigation and power project bulks
large on the horizon Of the presi-
Dental campaign.
The Republican presidential nomi-
nee has captured credit as a lead
ing sponsor of the northwest sea
passage, which the farmers Of the
west have been told will mean a
saving Of to IL cents a bushel on
grain shipped to the Atlantic coast
and Europe.
Hoover undoubtedly will seek to
make the most of this issue in the
west, where, curiously enough,
Roosevelt is believed to have the
edge.
The Democratic nominee, on the
other hand, has taken as his own
the issue of cheap electrical power.
Particularly in New York state. he
already has educated small power
users to believe that if the st. Law
renee power development is handled
his way, they will be able to buy
electricity for third or a fourth of
the price they now pay.
Power Cost Stressed
Although other sections of the
country would not benefit directly
from cheap power generated by a
State-oWned plant, they might be
persuaded Of the wisdom of such a
plant as yardstick to measure the
charges of the private utility COM
panies they patronize.
Roosevelt has said little about the
navigation aspects of the st. Law
renee project, except to indicate his
sympathy with the desire of farm
erS for cheaper freight rates. Hoo
yer has kept mum on the power
aspects.
Time and time again in the last
two years of the st. Lawrence ne
gotiationS with Canada, Roosevelt
tried to smoke out Hoover and the
state department on the power
problem. At every turn the New
York Governor met with rebuffs.
Roosevelt wants the power devel-
opment on the American side of
the river to be turned over entirely
to New York state, just as it has
been turned over to the province of
Ontario on the Canadian SIDE.
Showdown Is Evaded
Hoover consistently evaded a
showdown on this question, and the
Roosevelt men can be expected to
accuse him of carrying out the
wishes of the huge Niagara Hudson
power interests, which have a prac-
teal monopoly on manufacture and
sale Of power in the Empire state.
outside of New York City.
On Borah's subcommittee are
Borah, Walsh Dem, Mont), Rob-
inson (Dem., Ark, Wagner Dem.
N. ", La Toilette (Rep, Wis.,,
Vande lberg Rep, Mich.) and
Glenn (Rep, ND.
1t is a committee strongly domi-
mated by Democrats and Progress
Sive Republicans, which can be ex-
pected to play RooSevelts game on
the power phase. Also, it is domi-
mated strongly by western senators,
who can be expected to play Hoo
vers game on the navigation issue.
TIaIA AH=-@,->