Evening star., 1941-06-18
Knox Asks Seaway
As BeIated Boon
To u. ). Defense
Would Permit Building
Of Naval Croft on Lakes;
Committee Seen Divided

By the Associated Press.
Secretary of the Navy Knox, say
ing I'VE are going to live in a dis
turbed world for a long time" to-
day urged approval of the st. Law
renee Seaway to facilitate passage
to the ocean of naval craft built on
the Great Lakes.
Testifying before the House Rivers
and Harbors Committee, Mr.. Knox
asserted that 1t would be advan-
taseous to build new ships in an
area reasonably secure from attack
from without"
The legislation he Endorsed would
ratify an agreement between the
United States and Canada providing
for 47-mile, 27-foot seaUay
through the st. Lawrence Rapids
between Lake Ontario and the st.
Lawrence River mouth.
Boon to Defense"
Sponsors have said the project
would accommodate ships up to the
size Of aircraft carriers and battle
ships.
What a great boon it would have
been to national defense now" Sec
retary Knox said, If when the
project was first proposed it had
been agreed to and put into effect"
The Senate rejected in 1884 a
treaty calling for construction OF
the seaWay.
Discussing the pressure on the
Nations shipbuilding facilities. Sec
retary Knox said that under the
ingenious plan developed by the
Maritime Commission for partial
construction of merchant vessels on
the Great Lakes and finishing them
elsewhere, every ounce of produc-
tive capacity in that area is soon
to be utilized"
Safety From Attack.
If the seaway were provided, he
said, the Navy could make use Of
the Great Lakes facilities for build
ing many of its auxiliary and even
combat ships such as light cruisers,
destrovers and submarines
1T would be of tremendous mil
{tary value to us" he said. Ito be
able to build many of the ships for
our two-ocean Navy in an area that
would be virtually safe from attack.
1T also would greatly relieve the
pressure in our coastal yards
During his testimony, Secretary
Knox said that the new bases in
were being enlarged,
but did not say to what extent. Both
the Army and Navy are building
bases there on sites obtained from
Great Britain. Newfoundland was
the first of the Atlantic bases to
which the United States sent gar
rison troops.
With the exception of five unde-
clded members, the committee was
reported to be divided equally on the
question of approving the legislation.
One member said privately that
q poll he had completed showed 10
members for the measure, 10 against
and five who have reserved their de-
cisions.
This preliminary lineup was dis
closed after Secretary of War Slim
son indorsed the project yesterday as
vital for national defense.
Defense Value Seen.
Mr.. StimSon suggested the pos
slbility that the war might last long
enough for the Nation to . obtain
some defensive benefit from the
project. He repeated estimates that
it would take four years to con-
struct, but said that with luck" it
might take only three seasons.
Testifylng at the start Of hearings
on administration legislation Mr..
Stimson said it would produce 2.200.-
900 horsepower of electrical energy,
make possible construction of ocean,
going vessels on the Great Lakes
and provide a more protected route
for shipments of supplies to Great
Britain.
Adolph A. Berle. Assistant Secre-
tary of State, strongly recommended
the construction, saying that it was
necessary from a defense standpoint
Ito start now" even though the war
might end before construction was
completed.
Cites Other Projects.
Representative Smith, Democrat,
Of Washington, remarked that op-
position similar to that against the
St. Lawrence project, was recorded
against the Bonneville, Dam five or
six years ago when that project was
under consideration.
The opponents said we never
would find a market for the Bonne-
vile power" Representative Smith
said. Yet today it is one of the
most valuable defense projects. pro-
viding power to turn out aluminium
10 build our airplanes. There is an
actual shortage of power out there
now"
Representative Gehrmann, Pro-
gressive, of Wisconsin, said last
night that America had a modern
counterpart of the opposition that
fought construction of the Man
Ship Canal in Great
Britain and the Panama Canal in
Central America.
He asserted in a radio address
that the EaSt's economic position
was not threatened by the proposed
completion of the Great Lakes-St.
seaway.
Representative Gehrmann also said
the Seaway was not conceived or
fostered by one political party, but
that President after President
and Democrat alike
have urged the building of the route
from Superior, Wis, to the sea-"