Evening star., 1941-03-23
St. Lawrence Seuwuy

St. Lawrence Seuwuy
Following the signing of new
agreement at Ottawa last week be-
tween the governments of the United
States and Canada, President Roose-
welt has announced that he will ask
Congress for authority to begin con-
Struction of the Great LakeS-St.
Lawrence SeaWay and power project
as joint Canadian American en-
terprise. In 1884 the United States
Senate rejected a treaty providing
for the development of the St. Law
renee SeaWay. The present agree
ment would become effective by con-
current legislation of the Canadian
| Parliament and the American Con-
| greSS Only majority vote, there
fore, will be required in House and
Senate. The legality of the pact
made by executives of Canada and
the United States has been upheld
by law officers of both governments.
The agreement just concluded
provides for the completion of the
essential links in the Great Lakes
st. Lawrence deep waterway and the
construction of dams and power
works in the International Rapids
section of the ST. Lawrence River.
The cost of construction in the
International Rapids section, it is
estimated, would amount to approx
mately S266,l70000, of which the
United States will pay about $780,
100000 BY speeding construction,
it is believed that the power and
be completed in little under three
years Assuming a start is made this
spring, the SeaWay would be open to
navigation in 1914.
President Roosevelt and other sup
porterS of the proposed SeaWay have
placed great stress on its value to
defense. The United States needs
this great land-locked sea as secure
haven in which it will always be able
to build ships and more ships in order
to protect our trade and shores the
President said in message to the
Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway
Conference at Detroit in December.
The United States needs, tremen-
dously needs, the power project
which will form link in the seaway
in the international Rapids section
of the st. Lawrence River to produce
aluminium and more aluminium for
the airplane program which will as
sure command of the air"
In his message to the seaWay con-
ference in December the President
also pointed out that the Shipyar:S
in the Great Lakes area. if given
access to the ocean. might we'll be-
come a vital factor in the successful
defense of North America. On March
7 the Department of Commerce made
public figures showing that the pro-
posed twenty Seven-foot channel
would make it possible for II per
cent of the 6,403 freighterS in service
in the worlds merchant fleets at the
end of 1899 to reach the Great Lakes
through the SeaWay. With the con-
struction of a channel of this depth,
Furthermore, the Great Lakes ship
building yards could construct for
the two-ocean Navy all types of war
ships with the exception of aircraft
carriers and battleShipS.
Opponents have marshaled many
arguments against the construction
of the seaway. They contend that
the project cannot be regarded as
defense measure, for the reason that
its completion will require at least
three years and possibly more. The
| Seaway, they further assert, would
be vulnerable to aerial attack and
might easily be put out OF commits
sion by saboteurS and fifth colum-
niStS. Opponents take the view that
prospective power demands can be
met more quickly and more cheaply
through the construction of steam
generating plants, and they question
the wisdom, as a matter of public
policy, of eXpending large sums at
the present time for project unre-
lated to the immediate defense needs
of the Nation.
Because of it's cost, its economic
implications and its bearing on de-
fenSe and other relationships be-
tween the United States and Canada,
the pending project is one of major
Importance, 1t may be assumed,
therefore, that Congress, before ap-
proving the agreement, will weigh
carefully the arguments for and
against the project.
Ten drafteeS in Louisiana, who
speak only 'Cajun, weird mixture
of old French, Spanish and English,
are having trouble learning close