Evening star., 1941-07-18

| muCn lcsS pass -
it, The other Is that its chance OF
success is wholly due to the fact
that the President is making its
passage a personal matter.
Evidence of this is found not only
in the trouble he has taken to push
forward conspicuous members of his
administra ton, such as Secretaries
Stimson. Knox and Jones, and o. P.
M. members Knudson and Hillman,
some of whom have little interest
in, and less knowledge Of, the prof.
ect, but also in the way the admins
tration publicity forces have been
lined up in its behalf. All up and
down the line the Government press
agents and journalistic ref1ectors
are unitedly pressing favorable argu-
ments and obscuring those against.
Even the publicity director of the
Democratic National Committee has
been prodded into doing his bit. The
method adopted by most OF these
literary aides is to misrepresent and
abuse those on the other side rather
| than argue the merits OF their case.
Labor Among Problems.
The fact is the Gull weight of the
White House machine is being used
to push this project Through
reluctant Congress Ordinarily that
would be enough. Perhaps it will be
this time. Certainly the President
can get from Congress anything he
asks in the way OF legislation or
money which he can justify as for
national defense. The proponents OF
the ST. Lawrence plan have the
greatest difficulty in justifying it on
! that ground. On the contrary. the
statement that at the most optlmis-
tic estimate (the Presidents the
seaway could not be completed with
in four years, and that 1t would di-
vert a large number of men and an
immense amount of machinery and
other material. vitality needed for
defense work at most critical
period. has not been contradicted
and would seem to outweigh every
argument of the canal advocates,
not one of which is undisputed.
Actually, the engineering, hnan-
cial, military and industrial facts
that are marshaled against this un-
dertaking appear so conclusive as TO
make it impossible to regard a pro-
poeal which has been kicking around
for 40 years as an emergency propo-
sition in 194l. Engineers, who con-
tend that seven instead of four years
would be required to do the job, esti-
mate that a force of 43 900 men would
be steadily engaged, but that at the
peak 10000 would be needed. To
complete the job in four years,
double this army would be required.
Where are these men to come from?
In addition, help must be had from
Canada, which, even less than we,
can afford to divert labor now en-
ployed in producing munitions and
other products Of which the British
are in desperate need.
Reluctant Prime Minister.
The reluctance of Canada to par
ticipate in this project at this time
Is attested by the conditions under
which the Canadian Prime Minister
joined Mr.. Roosevelt. In his agree
ment, Mr.. Mackenzie King provided |
q clear escape clause" by which his
country may indefinitely postpone
any participation or expenditure |
whatever. In his last letter on the
subject-March 5-the canny Prime
Minister declared that the grow |
ing intensity of the war preparations
and the apprehensions that still
more serious perils will have to be /
faced in the near future necessitate
the most careful examination Of any |
proposed expenditure from the point
of view of public need and in the
light OF war requirements" So far
from heartily approving" the plan,
this would seem to indicate great
doubt of it's present wisdom upon the
part Of Mr.. Mackenzie King-even a