Evening star., 1941-03-20
Congress Opposition
For Development Of
ST. Lawrence Arises
Roosevelt Will Present
Message Tomorrow
Asking Early Action
BY BLAIR BOLLES.

Construction for defense purposes
of huge hydroelectric project, ex.
pected to generate more horsepower
than the great dams and works oi
Grand Coulee, T. v. A. and Boulder
Canyon, will be asked by President
Roosevelt tomorrow in a message
urging immediate congressional ap.
proval of the new agreement calling
for joint American Canadian de-
velopment of a 48-mile stretch OF
the ST. Lawrence waterway. Signs
of congressional opposition already
have appeared.
The proposed double dam at
MasSena, N. Y, an integral part of
the seaway project, to produce 1885,
100000 horsepower, has for it's i'm
mediate aim the improvement of the
countrys supply of aluminium, which
is of vital importance in aircraft
production and which now is be-
coming bottleneck in defense. The
Aluminium Co. of America, principal
maker of the metal here, has large
plant at MaSSena, whose production
capacity could be vastly increased
by the suggested power development.
The st. Lawrence controversy, re-
opened yesterday by the conclusion
at Ottawa of an agreement for
spending S266, 10000 on power and
navigation programs in the Inter-
national Rapids area, brought ex-
preSSions of opposition and apathy
from most of the Senators who fought
successfully ratification of the St.
Lawrence treaty in 1894.
However, Chairman George of the
Foreign Relations Committee, a
1884 opponent, said the new agree
ment would have to be studied in
relation to current plans for ma
tional defense and aid to Britain.
Observers in Ottawa predicted
parliamentary approval in Canada
would follow ratification by the
American Congress. Necessary to
the development was a side agree
ment signed yesterday between the
Dominion of Canada and the Prov
ince Of Ontario. providing for the
power development and scenic
beauty on the st. Lawrence at
Niagara.
Mr.. Roosevelt has been advised
by engineers that two and one-half
years will suffice to complete the
project, whose purpose is to deepen
the sea lane from Duluth, at the
western extremity of the Great
Lakes, to the Atlantic to 27 feet
and to provide hydroelectric power.
The present war emergency will
still be in existence when the project
is completed, President Roosevelt
told Prime Minister Mackenzie King
in note dated March 10 and made
public by the State Department yes
terday when the agreements con-
clusion was announced.
Canal to Divert Waters.
The Massena plan calls for divert
ing the waters of the st. Lawrence
River through a canal to be built
for a brief distance on Canadian
soil opposite Massena and building
series of dams in the old stream
bed, where the river falls 90 feet in
a short space. This is in the area
OF the International Rapids, 48 miles
in length from the Upper st. Law
renee to the Soulanges Canal, in
Quebec Province.
President Roosevelt told Prime
Minister Mackenzie King that the
opening of the waterway would make
possible a great expansion of our
wartime Shipbuilding program, be-
cause cargo and battle vessels which
now could not traverse the water
way could be built in inland ways
If the water course were generally
deepened. He expressed the fear
lest coastal shipbuilding be molested.
Before the whole waterway from
Duluth to the Atlantic could be
usable for vessels drawing 81 feet,
however, not only the International
Rapids section would have to be de-
veloped, but the Welland Canal,
connecting Lake Ontario with Lake
Erie around Niagara Falls, and the
Soulanges and Lachine canals in
the Quebec part of the ST. Lawrence
would have to be deepened.
Provision is to be made for Canada
to proceed at once with the Welland
Canal improvement, but nothing
has been decided about Soulanges
and Lachine. Now ships drawing
more than IA feet cannot make the
Duluth-Atlantic haul.
Costs to Be Divided.
In theory, half the cost is to be
paid by Canada and half by the
United States, with New York State
participating. However, under the
agreement, whose provisions will be
made public tomorrow, Canada is
to spend sl30,000,000 in deepening
the Welland Canal and is to get a
credit for that sum from the United
States.
The full cost of the waterway
project and the division of expendi-
lures goes like this:
For the International Rapids Sec
ton development covered in yes
terday's agreement, s266, ITO, 900; for
the Welland Canal, s13O, ,O0O, 900; to-
tai. 1896, 10000; nominal cost to
Canada, $lS8,O85, 900; nominal cost
to the United States, $685. OBS 900:
actual cost to Canada on account
OF credit for Welland improvement,
s5S,O85,000; actual cost to the United
States, $318,085 900.
The New York State Power Au-
thority is to pay s90,0O0,0OO, which
means that the cost to the Federal
Government would be 1928 8,O85 900 if
Congress approves. The Senate
turned the project down in 1884
when it was submitted as a treaty,
requiring two-third vote for ap-
proval. Only simple majority of
both Houses is needed to approve
the agreement.