The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1938-06-23
SEEN and HEAR
around me
NATIONAL CAPITAL
By CarterField
ANGUS WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT

expected but he was mdllgneu LII
public hearing by the IVA congress
sional investigating committee. Ber-
~ had expected A. E. Morgan to at
tack him. In fact he probably knew
that some admirers of A. Z. Nor.
gan hoped the Berry marble case
would prove very effective in turn
ing public opinion against Lilienthal.
Turns on Berry
But the senator was shocked be-
yond measure when Lilienthal VIZ.
tually joined A. E. Morgan IN at
tacking Berry. thus taking this case,
unless A. Z. Morgan springs some
thing now unanticipated to cllnch
this particular point against Lilien-
thai, virtually out of the controver-
Sy.
Since this Reputation Senator
Berry has stopped being an admin
istration rubber stamp. He actually
voted to curb federal loans and
grants for the construction of gov
eminent electric plants-with the
relief money--to compete with prl-
vately owned electric plants. He
voted for several other amendments
to the relief bill which were dis
tinctly distasteful to the White
House and Harry L. Hopkins.
So now he's on the list, and the
administration hopes very much
that he will be missed after the No
vember election. Tennessee beng
overwhelmingly Democratic, the ar
rangements to have him missing
when the senate convenes next Jan.
uary in its next session will have
to be aimed at the primary. Which
is rather amusing when it is re-
called that President Roosevelt just
a few weeks back was writing an
earnest letter to Representative
Samuel D. McReynolds to keep that
veteran in Tennessee politics from
opposing Berry.
Also the Berry case may comph-
cate an existing very warm strug-
gle in Tennessee politics, in which
armed clashes threaten between
Ed Crump's police down in Mem
phis with special state police ap-
pointed by Governor Browning
Crunp backed Browning two years
: ago for the nomination for governor
but he has turned on him, SO thai
the gubernatorial battle so far has
overshadowed the senate fight.
St. Lawrence Seaway
! Prospects for the st. Lawrence
seaway, despite the beautiful pic
ture of what could be done as paint
ed in the note to Canada by Score
tary of State Cordell Hull, con
tinue to be very dark indeed. Thu
!. is revealed by conversations witt
senators as to the probability OF an,
:. treaty involving the idea being rat
:. fed.
J, II might not be difficult to obtai
senate approval for St. Lawrenc
river development, including a
= the features of the Tennessee
= valley development, if only the on
phase of navigation should be LEI
. out. The privately owned utilize
of course would fight it, but the
: have not shown themselves yer
: successful in blocking Legislation
= and there is not much Indicate
= that they would be successful on tt
!. St. Lawrence. In fact, they Wou
- be more impotent there than
- some other proposals, for Whateve
y they may think about other poWe
= projects, the general impression G
. Capitol Hill is that Niagara poWf
,. is a good idea. The senators ca
~ sense the power possibilities Their
!, and Harvesting the falling waite
~ seems to even the least informe
=. of them a practical matter.
- The sticking point in the who
" beautiful picture is navigation ar
= nothing else. incidentally navig
q ton has been the driving force b
y hind the whole movement ev
since its inception. Originally it W
in two parts The cities on t
IN Great Lakes, with the exception
he Buffalo, were intrigued with t
is idea of becoming world ports, WI
&C. ships from all over the globe steal
as ing into their harbors. II arous
int the chamber of commerce and CT,
ire booster spirit to the nth degrs
Buffalo had a different angle on
to situation. It's citizens feared in |
ior early days, and still fear, that
ice ocean-going ships could navig;
ed right into the Great Lakes, Buff
ZEN would lose its present tremendc
zen trans-shipment business.
emit Farmers Interested
by Even more important, political
es- was the desire of the farmers
cry Minnesota the Dakotas, Monta
icy Iowa, and other nearby states
the obtain lower freight rates on tn
CHI wheat shipped to Liverpool.
many years the price Of wheat a
ed. where in the world has been de-
out mined by the price in that Brit
red city. The price anywhere else
VA and is the Liverpool price, less
APP freight rate from the point in q
had ton to Liverpool. Various estims
but as to how much the freight fl
attl- northwestern points to Liverl
could be cut by the St. Lawre
lem seaway have been made, but w