Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1933-03-16
OHr Government
How 1t Operates
BY William Brackar5
TREATY NEGOTIATIONS

THE United States and Ganada
have just lately concluded treaty
that represents an agreement between
our government and that of our neigh
Dor on the north whereby deep wa
terway Will be constructed connecting
the Great Lakes and the Atlantic
ocean. 1t Is a gigantic engineering
project that Is contemplated, 1t has
vast potentialitles for our people and
their commerce. and Ii will stand
through the years as a monument TO
the genius OF two peoples who desire
TO see opportunities utilized for the
good OF all.
But behind the formal signing of
that treaty which took place In the
Department OF State here In the Capt..
tai city lies many ramifcatlons and
maneuvers They are called "negotl.
atlonsr at the end. and they repre-
sent as we'll as any In history the
processes through which nations must
go In reaching agreement on the terms
Of contract. for treaty. after all.
Is only contract Treaty negotla
lions, however. are not unlike swap
ping of horses In the old days. It Is
matter OF give and take. and each
fellow looks out for himself.
II seldom takes as much time to ac-
complish an understanding respecting
treaty terms as has elapsed since the
deep waterway proposal first was adj
vanced more than fifty years ago.
Commercial interests saw the need of
It long before our government could
be interested In the project The,
same was true among the Canadians.
except that they did not regard devel-
opment OF the waterway as important
until recent years because their COM
meree Ell began expanding lafarz=than
ours
Yet through all of those years, two
peoples were slowly but surely moving
to the point where their governments
could agree as to what was necessary
IN a treaty under which the channel
could be constructed. There had to
be treaty. or course. because the
rights OF each nation were Involved
and each nation had to give up some
Of those rights when the contract was
made.
Active movements by our govern
ment. looking to the treaty and the
waterway project to be built under It's
terus. were instituted almost ten
years ago. At that time. however,
some OF the statesmen at the head OF
the Dominion government were not
friendly to the idea There was oppo.
sitfon as well among certain interests
In this country. For example. many
OF the railroads serving the northern
half OF the United States and draw
Inc traffic from the regions around
and west OF the Great Lakes are OPP
posed to the waterway for the very
obvious reason that they fear It will
take away some of their traffic. And
SO II goes Opposition and support
for the plan may be found every
where In areas affected by II.
From this 1t is easily deduced that
considerable amount of preliminary
work had to he done to acqnaint the
peoples OF the merit of the project.
II has now been formally signed be
cause the ruling political group In
Canada believe 1t Is practicable and
valuable. and the administration OF
our government has fostered the idea
| throughout.
| But the treaty Is not yet operative
II has another stage to pass here and
| another Mt Ottawa. While Its accept
| ance by the Dominion government Is
| little more than formality. ratifica
| ton OF the agreement by the senate
of the United States Ia another mat
/ ter The Constitution provides for ne
gotIation of the treaty by the Pres
/ dent by and with the advice and con
sent Of the senate So II has to TAKE
a hurdle Of some consequence before I
becomes a binding agreement and one
/ that Is fully operative
When the President transmits ths
| st. Lawrence waterway treaty to thu
senate for It's consideration ne will
send with II letter from the secre
/ tary of state explaining the benefits
| honed to be derived But the senat'
/ will not be content with that II vii
turn the treaty over to Its COMMITTEES
on foreign relations and that gronI
win hold hearings to which II will In
wife snokesmen for the various group
interested In its ratification or re1ec
tion. II viii listen to both sides.
In addition. 1t will invite the secre
tary OF state and the American minis
ter to Ottawa and experts who PARTED
pated In the actual writing Of the doc
ument to come before II and tell wha
the treaty does These men prohabl
will testify In private. however, for i
must he remembered that all interna
tionol negotiations are carried o.