Evening star., 1932-07-24
St. Lawrence River Project May Become
Important Issue in the Present Campaign

Gov. Roosevelt was wholly baSically ac-
curate but that Undersecretary Castles
statement should have been:
We used TO have bananas. We pres
emily shall again have bananas. 1 only
wish to say to you that we have no
bananas today
T. In the course Of the negotiations
with Canada the State Department did
not consult the representatives of the
State of New York adequately. The
Presidents friends reply that the De-
partment of State consulted the repre-
sentativeS OF the State of New York in
the Department of State Building in
Washington on occasions extremely nu-
merous. These consultations took place
between high officials Of the Depart
ment of State and individual members
of the power authority of the State
OF New York and also. on several oc-
casions, between officials OF the Depart
ment OF State and the total member
ship Of the New York power author
ity.' 1t is admitted that the power
authority" did not get from the De-
partnent of State the one big agree
ment that it desired. 1t Is maintained,
however, that the power authority"
had ample and repeated opportunities
to present its wishes.
s. The State Department and the
President refused to agree with the
power authority Of New York on the
subject of the total amount of money
to be paid by New York for the water
power part of the St Lawrence devel-
this charge against the State Depart
ment and the President is literally pre-
clseiy completely true. The Presidents
friends admit its truth, and say:
The President had no legal right. and
today has none, to fix the contribution
to be made by New York to the total
costs of the ST. Lawrence double de-
Velopment of power and OF navigation
The President does not insist, ani does
not even suggest, that the DEVELOPMENT
OF power in the St. Lawrence shall be
BY private company. He is entirely
content that it shall be by a public
company owned by New York State
He has not been authorized. however,
by the Congress to determine the allo-
cation of total st. Lawrence costs be-
tween the Federal Government and
New York State. He has not attempted
w AAoAN tAAot ANNN YIN SIpulu pay d
large sum. He has not attempted to
hold that New York should pay small
sum. He has left, and is now leaving
the whole matter of the ALLEGATION of
costs to the only body that has any
legal constitutional jurisdiction over it.
the Congress.
Such is the controversy, with its
charges and answers. The uncomfor-
table part of it for the President is that
his failure to substitute himself for the
Congress in accelerating Gov. Roose-
velt's public power policy in New York
exposes him to Senator Norris claim
that he is "the agent of the Power
Trust" The uncomfortable part of it
for Gov Roosevelt is that when he
comes before the Congress to try to get
it to name small sum for New York S
contribution to the st. Lawrence naVi-
gatiCn and power development he will
encounter the Western States; and the7
will then and there try to diminish
their own payments for the navigation
works in the river by obliging New York
to pay large sum for the power works
That last point. indeed, is the solid
money root of this whole shinmering
flower of presidential politics.
tCopyrisht 1922