Evening star., 1933-01-18
Resolution on Highly Contro-
versial Canadian Dispute
to Be Adopted.
TRANSFER PROPOSED
BY HOOVER DISCUSSED
international Pact Attacked and
Defended During Conven-
ton Here.

Resolutions on the highly contro-
versial st. Lawrence waterway treaty
and on President Hoover's recon-
mendation to transfer river and har-
Dor work from the War Department to
the Interior Department were due TO
ccme before the annual convention OF
the National Rivers and Harbors Con-
gress ct its concluding session today.
The morning session was devoted 10
a round table conference, during when
the st. Lawrence project was major
topic. Sentiment OF the delegates on
the treaty was divided, and heated de-
bates marked the meeting.
Mayor T. Semmes Walmsley OF New
orleans, chairman of the Resolutions
Committee, said he believed the con-
gress would go on record unanimously
in opposition to the Presidents proposal
to take inland waterways out of the
jurisdiction of the Army Engineers.
Defended by Dakotans.
Representative James H. Sinclair of
North Dakota, an advocate of the st.
Lawrence waterway project, told the
delegates the program must go through.
Every difference expressed with re-
gard to the treaty can and must be ad-
juSted in order that Middle Western
States may be placed on the Atlantic
Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean brought
into the heart of the continent" he
said.
The sessions this afternoon were to
! be devoted to resolutions and the cleo
ton of officers.
AssaiIs Waterway Treaty.
The st. Lawrence waterway treaty
was asSailed yesterday by Representa-
! tive William E. Hull. Republican, OF II
iinois who declared the United States
! has been well hooked in the negotl-
ations.
| While Representative Pittenger, Re
! publican, of Minnesota, made speecn
| en- the floor of the House urging Sen
/ ate ratifica tion of the treaty, Hull was
/ describing the agreement with Canada
as an unfair and unjustiflable treaty
!, He said. in part
| is it possible that our Senators are
| willing to barter away our labor and
| destroy the great inland waterway by
| taking away from it the water that II
| so richly deserves and give it all to Can
ada. take a billion dollars out Of cur
| Treasury and allow Canada to expeno
| it upon its own labor, its own waterway
! interests and the development OF indus
| try in that country? It seems to me
those of us who live in the Central
West should rise in mighty wrath and
develop a sentiment throughout the
| whole 28 States that are interested in
an inland waterway system and protest
| to the Senate of the United States
against such an atrocious treaty as
! this is"
| Attacks Rail Interests.
! Pittenger. in urging the Rivers and
/ Harbor Congress to support the treaty
i declared the same forces that are op-
| posing the st. Lawrence project are the
ones that work actively against river
and harbor development. I refer to the
railroad interests.
If there be any powerful forces Sc
cretly at work in the Rivers and Harbors
/ Congress to pass any resolutions un-
/ friendly to the st. Lawrence project, the
| delegates to this convention will do well
to watch such maneuvers."
Secretary of War Hurley, speaking at
banquet of the organization in the
| Willard Hotel last night, told the dele
gates that waterway projects in various
parts of the country which have been
authorized by Congress must be COM
| pleted."
Stressing the importance of the rivers
and harbors work, Mr. Hurley said that
despite economic conditions the water
borne commerce of the country in 1891
aggregated 445. SAB 900 tons. with value
! of practically $4,000, 100000.
The improvement of our waterways
must go on" he said The improve
ments necessary to afford increased
facilities, when based on sound eco
nomics and sound engineering should
be authorized and vigorously prose
| cuted."
! Answers Special Report.
| Mai. Gen. T @. Ashburn, presiden
/ Of the Inland Waterways Corporation
! termed as "characteristically anti
/ waterways" a report of a special com.
mittee of the United States Chamber o
1 Commerce, which held that "unregu
| lated competition with regulated form'
| of comparable transportation is unfair.
Other speakers yesterday and las
night included Representatives Raine!
| Of Illinois, Wilson Of Louisiana, Snel
I of New York. Mansfield of Texas anc
Reid, epresentatiye-elect Virgins
! Jenckes of Indiana, former Repre-
sentative Dewey Short of Missouri
i Col. James NJ Thompson. Louisi-
ana publisher. Mai. Gen. Lytle Brown
chief Of Army Engineers; Mayor MARI
E, Moore of Youngstown. Ohio Wade
o. Martin, Louisiana Public Service
commissioner; W. F. Coahman, jr.
chairman of the Florida State Cana
Commission and w j. Peterson of Sar
| Francisco.
j