Evening star., 1940-03-01
President May. Send
Congress New Plea
For Canal Locks
Expenditure Is Seen
Unlikely Unless Special
Appeal Is Made
n the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
Congressional opposition to new
set of bomb-proof locks for the
Panama Canal, an administration
leader said today, may bring spe-
cial presidential appeal for funds.
President Roosevelt's budget asked
$15,000,000 to begin work on the
locks, but the item was deleted
from War Department bill by the
House Appropriations Committee.
The House backed up its commit
tee yesterday by voting only $s50,00o
to prepare plans for the locks. It
did not even debate the larger sum.
Economy advocates demonstrated
their strength when the House
passed a $2O3, ,472, ,567 appropriation
bill without single attempt being
made to increase funds for flood
control or rivers and sharbors i'm
provements
Passed on Unrecorded Vote.
The measure, which was dis
patched to the Senate, carries the
annual allowances for the War De-
partments so-called civil functions
work by Army engineers on river
channels, harbors. canals and dams.
Usually scores of members offer
amendments involving their pet
projects.
AS passed on an unrecorded vote,
the measure carried s70,000,000 for
flood control in general. 100000 900
for flood control on the lower Missis-
sippi River, S66. $40 for rivers
and harbors improvements and $780,
O98,771 for the Panama Canal.
The general flood control fund rep
resented a cut of S63,000,000 below
the current years appropriations, the
Mississippi River allowance was So
100000 less than this year and the
rivers and harbors item was down
S29,278, 400.
All told, the appropriation bill was
SOL ,652,817 smaller than for the
current year. 1t also was $16,609 ,683
less than the Presidents budget es-
Inmates and its passage brought the
total of congressional reductions in
Mr.. Roosevelt's requests to $780,
100000.
May Send Special Appeal.
A usually well-informed source
told reporters on Capitol Hill there
was a good chance that President
Roosevelt, who visited the canal this
week. would send letter or other
message to the Senate urging
restoration of the $15,000000 fund
for the bomb-proof locks
Without such an appeal, one ad-
ministration lieutenant said. there
appeared little possibility the ex-
penditure would be approved.
Chairman Thomas of the Senate
Appropriations Subcommittee which
will consider the subject, said planes
and guns would afford the canal
better protection.
The question of new locks is a
lot of hooey." Senator Thomas as
serted. Il am sold on aerial defense
of the canal. Almost everything
else is out OF date
Inclined to Oppose Plan.
Senator Adams, Democrat, of
Colorado, a member of Senator
Thomas committee, said he was "in-
clined to oppose" the locks allot-
ment.
IF we want to give our ships real
protection" he asked, why don't
We build a sea-level, tunnel canal
from Hampton Roads, Va, through
the mountains to San Francisco?"
Advocates of the new locks argue
that since they would be reserved
for American naval vessels. they
would be in less danger of sabotage
than the present locks, open to ships
of all nations.
With the Senate in recess until
Monday, the House today took up
bill authorizing r. F. c. loans for
stream pollution projects The
measure already has received Senate
approval.
Argentina,s shipments of products