Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-12-05
President Asks
St. Lawrence
Pact for Defense
Will Push Seowoy
At Next Session,
He Tells Conference
BY the Associated Press.


DETROIT, Dec. 5. - President
Roosevelt announced today he would
ask Congress, converting in January,
to approve a treaty with. Canada
providing for completion of the ST.
Lawrence seaway and power project
ION which so much of our national
safety and welfare depend"
The Presidents announcement,
presaging another battle in Congress
over the long-debated project (de-
feated in 1884 was made by A. A.
Berle. jr, Assistant Secretary of
State, in an address before the Great
Lakes Seaway and Power Confer
ence.
President Roosevelt, in a message
to the conference read by Mr.. Berle
emphasized that the st. Lawrence
project would provide millions in
new horsepower urgently needed to
speed up defense production and
create a safe haven and waterway
for construction of ships to replace
tonnage sunk in the war.
Called a Necessity Now.
THE opposition which defeated
the st. Lawrence treaty in 1884"
Mr.. Roosevelt said, was a mistaken
opposition, based on failure to ap-
praise the full needs of their country
in the world situation which was
even then developing.
Il said then that an opportunity
is presented to complete a seaway
comparable in economic value to
the Panama Canal a seaway to
which the public development of
st. Lawrence power is inseparably
linked.
1T was then an opportunity. 1t
Is now vital necessity"
A commission. named by the
United States and Canadian govern
ments, now is making necessary
preliminary surveys for the pro-
posed project. and discussions lead
ing towA-d a treaty covering the
projects construction are under way
between the two governments.
Defense Aspects Stressed.
Emphasizing the need of the st.
Lawrence project for defense, Pres
ident Roosevelt declared:
The United States needs this
great landlocked sea as a secure
haven in which it will always be
able to build ships and more ships
in order to protect our trade and
our shores.
The United States needs, ire
mendously needs, the power project
which will form a link in the sea-
way to produce aluminium and more
aluminium for the airplane program
which will assure command of the
air"
The President declared: Selfish
interests will tell you that I am
cloaking this great project in ma
tional defense in order to gain an
objective which has always been
dear to me.
But I tell you that it has always
been dear to me because I recog-
nized its vital Importance to the
people in peace and in war"
After delivering the Presidents
message. Mr. Berle declared that
Canadian power resources already
are taxed to capacity for defense
needs, and that more power is
needed on the United States side Of
the ST. Lawrence for the saline ur-
gent purpose. Specifically, he said
there is need for the manufacture OF
q q tho r11onfS a
Massena, N. Y, and of more chem
icals at the plants of Union Carbide
and other companies in the St
Lawrence Valley area.
The presidential message described
defense program pressure for lots
of cheap power"
He wrote:
Let those who oppose the imme-
date undertaking of this project
sit here at the center of the ma
tional defense effort in Washing
ton and feel the pressure of the
National Defense Commission call
ing for more and more power for
our great aluminium plants and for
other munitions industries requiring
lots of cheap power l am sure that
they will know that the opposition
which defeated the st. Lawrence
treaty In 1884 was a mistaken OPP
position, based on failure to ap-
praise the full needs of their coun-
try in the world situation which
was even then developing.
Waters Now Called Wasted.
What would we not give today,
we who are responsible for the
country's supreme defense effort, if
the great st. Lawrence turbines
were already in place, steadily re-
volving under the drive of st. Law
renee waters now running to waste,
producing every hour of the day
100000 horsepower to supply the
expansion of our essential defense
industries.
Had this project been started in
(See ST. LAWRENCE, Page A-40