Evening star., 1941-02-06

Toilette of Wis
Jay Franklin. consin, who have
taken leading part in opposition
to the lease-lend proposals, will
suddenly emerge as pro-administra-
ton leaders in the fight for the st.
Lawrence undertaking.
Delay in presenting this matter
to Congress has been caused by a
curious series of accidents. The
Canadian Minister of Transport
was torpedoed on his way back from
England and eventually had to re-
turn to the Dominion on the King
George v with Lord Halifax. The
Canadian director Of external affairs,
Skelton, died suddenly of heart
failure, and the head of the On,
tario hydro system was laid up by
a serious automobile accident. All
of these, combined with the aid-to-
Britain debate, have held back the
seaway.
General Study Made,
However, Army engineers have
been conducting tests and borings
on the river since october. 1910, and
the Department of Commerce has
been making a general study of the
whole subject of the St. Lawrence
project in order to be fully prepared
with the facts and the figures when
the matter comes before the Con-
gress. At the same time, oppo-
sition has been voiced by such pow
erful trade associations as the.
National Association of Manufacture
ers, the Edison Electric Railroads,
the Lake Carriers Association, the
Association of American Railroads.
the Mississippi Valley Association
and various chambers of commerce.
The United States Chamber Of
Commerce rescin6ed a resolution
favoring the St. Lawrence seaWav
and is expected to debate the issue
at its next annual convention.
Government officials who have
studied the proposition say that it
is equivalent to a combination of
the Panama Canal and the T. V. A.
in its effects on both commerce and
lndustry-it amounts to threaten
ing to present an economic gold
mine to the people of North Ameri-
ca. They wonder why there should
be opposition from manufacturers
to a proposal to make industrial
power cheaper and more plentiful,
why shippers on the Great Lakes
should object to a plan which will
increase commercial tonnage on the
Great Lakes, and why the Western
railroads, which stand to benefit
by increased traffic and by escape
from the cramping differential
freight rates. should take a common
stand with the Eastern lines which
fear loss Of traffic.
First-Rate Controversy.
In other words. here there are all
the materials for a first-rate con-
troversy, involving powerful eco
nomic interests and the principles
OF national defense Advocates Of
the plan will claim that compile
ton Of the st. Lawrence project
will convert the Great Lakes into
North American Mediterranean
around which we can mobilize our
industrial and naval power without
fear Of attack Opponents will point
out that the scheme cannot be COM
pleted in time to be effective during
this present war. To this argument,
the advocates will reply that in
1884, when there was time to finish
the job, it was blocked by a filibuster
and coalition Of forces in the Sem
ate led by Huey Long of Louisiana,
Royal Copeland OF New York and
James Hamilton Lewis Of Illinois.
They will quote from the Presidents
message to the Great Lakes-St,
Lawrence Seaway Conference at De-
troit last December:
. The opposition which de-
feated the st. Lawrence treaty in
1884 was mistaken opposition,
based on failure to appraise the full
needs of their country in the world
situation which was even then de-
veloping.
What would we not give today"
asked the President. I'VE who are re-
sponsible for the countrys supreme
defense effort, If the great st. Law
renee turbines were already in place,
steadily revolving under the drive of
st. Lawrence waters running to
waste, producing every hour of the
day 100000 horsepower to supply
the expansion of our essential de-
fenSe industries?"
The administration believes that
two of the former objections to the
project have been discounted by
events. With private industry absorb
ing $4,000, ,00o,0 900 of defense con-
tracts, the cost no longer seems
prohibitive at s30O,000,0OO, especially
since annual savings of nearly $780,
900 900 in freight rates are indicated
by preliminary surveys. And with
industrial growth in New York State
now checked through lack Of hydro
power, it is felt that New York in
dustries will give greater support
than previously to the power end of
the project. But the administration
1al~