Evening star., 1941-03-19
St. Lawrence
Continued From First Page)

can be passed with simple ma jority.
The agreement was signed for the
United States by J. Pierrepont Mof-
fat, American Minister to Canada;
Assistant Secretary of State Berle
and Chairman Olds Of the Federal
Power Commission.
Will Expand Ship Building.
1t was signed for Canada by Prime
Minister Mackenzie King, who is
also secretary for external affairs;
Minister Howe of munitions and
supply and John Read, legal ad-
wiser to the Department of Exter-
nal Affairs.
The release at the State Depart
ment here included a letter to
Prime Minister King from President
Roosevelt, in which he stressed that
opening the waterway would make
possible an expansion of our ship
building program at this time.
In part. the President said:
Il am sure you will agree with
me that, while our countries must
put forth the maximum immediate
defense effort, we must also prepare
for the possibility of a protracted
emergency which will call upon tie
industries on both sides Of the bor-
der to meet constantly expanding
demands. The combination of ad-
vantages offered by the st. Law
renee project makes it imperative
that we undertake it Immediately"
Low Cost Electric Power.
Mr.. Roosevelt pointed out that
already We are appropriating money
to build war vessels that would not
be ready for service until the water
ways completion if work on it were
started now.
Mr.. Roosevelt said that he was
convinced of the urgent need for
I the large increment in low-cost
electric power which the st. Law
renee project will provide"
+ He said that now the demand
for power is running ahead of eX-
pectations, adding:
"One of the most serious handi-
caps to the rapid expansion of air
| plane production is the difficulty of
finding the large supplies high
load factor power required for
aluminium production.
1--WE are, of course, expanding our
electric facilities for this purpose as
| fast as practicable. but by the time
the st. Lawrence power is available
other sources Of cheap power will
have been largely allocated.
The St. Lawrence project offers
by far the soundest and most eco
nomical provision for the power re-
quirements of certain portions of
our long-range defense program,
more particularly for certain high
load factor defense industries.
Outlet for BattIeships.
"T'he manufacturing facilities and
skilled labor available for the con-
struction of steam turbines and elec-
/ trio equipment will be needed to
meet the requirements Of the vast
areas of our continent where water
power is not 50 economically avail
able
"I am also convinced that the
opening Of the st. Lawrence deep
waterway to afford an outlet for
naval and cargo ships constructed
in Great Lakes shipyards, far from
representing a diversion Of funds
and resources from the defense
effort, would have the opposite
effect.
Our shipbuilding program. to
meet the requirements of defence.
will call for a great expansion of
shipyards with their associa ID
machine shops and adequate srp-
plies of skilled labor. The extent
to which intensified submarine ard
air attacks on conveys may necessi-
tate an expansion of the program
Is still unknown.
Need for Shipyards.
"If the war Is protracted, it seems
certain that the number of ship
yards required will have to be
several times those at present
available.
Tn terms of our present indus
trial arrangements, many of these
can be made most readily an deco
nomically available In the Great
Lakes areas"
The Presidents note was given to
the Canadian government March 10
in response to questions forwarded
to him March from Prime Minis
ter King as to the general value
of proceeding with the waterway
program at this time.
The agreement calls for the en-
gineering development of the water
way according to what is known as
"238-242 control single-stage prof.
ect." 1t includes nine engineering
steps.
The technical details for the sea-
way development were worked out
by Canadian Temporary Great
Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin Commit
tee and the United States st. Law
| rereS Advisorv CnS,rrotttAA