Evening star., 1941-06-29

of mutual interest between Canada and
the United States.
This feeling of fundamental unity is
really the keynote at the Fourth BIZ
ennial Conference on Canadian-Ameri-
can Affairs which have been attending
at Queens University, Kingston, Ontario.
Whereas the project used to be con-
sidered separately from particularistic
American and Canadian angles, with
argument as to which would benefit the
more if it were carried through. the
undertaking is now discussed much more
as mutual enterprise. Additional ad-
vantages are seen from both sides Of
the border precisely because that border
is no longer the sharp line of demarka-
ton which it used to be.
Certain of the American representa-
tives at the Kingston conference, such
as Adolf Berle, who came there after
making a progress report in Ottawa.
have been serving as official spokesmen
for President Roosevelt on the St Law
renee waterway issue. So it is not sur
prising that the project was very much
to the fore at the sessions last week.
Relations interviewer.
A new support, however, has arisen
from the long-range defense aspects Of
the undertaking. Even if completion
would take several years 1t is argued,
that is not valid objection. Since
Canada and the United States are nov
permanet allies, both should look be-
yond immediate defense requirements
1t is even suggested that there is
something captious in criticism of the
procedure whereby the administration
now seeks TO put the project through
Congress by a simple majority vote of
both Houses. detouring the two-thirds
Senate vote required for treaty ratiica-
ton.
The commercial and political relation
of Canada and the United States are
now so interwoven it is asserted, tina
there is a certain improperly in expect
ing a formal treaty basis for a projec-
deemed mutually desirable for both
countries.
This article does not propose to dis
cuss the pros and cons of the ST. Law
renee waterway, nor TO examine in al
detail the equally controversial issue {
the German Turkish treaty. At tt
start certain connection between IT,
two was asserted. The precise natuE
of this connection remains to be stated
| In both cases, wholly remote and dis.
similar as they may seem, a developir
regional economic unity has been layir
the groundwork for a measure Of polit
| cal consolidation.
Developing Regionalism.
A developing European regionalism.
backed by forces more powerful than
those of Hitlers legions, is the funda-
| mental explanation for Turkish politi
| cal shift which was surprising to manv
A developing North American regional
| ism now makes probable the adoption
| of mutual defense and power project
which until recently was unable to make
headway against very valid specific
| criticisms.
1t is absurd to say that only President
Roosevelt and a small group of New
Dealers really want the st. Lawrence
waterway project Economical or not
| the trend of the times is working for
this development. President Roosevelt
| did not create this trend. though he he
had the intuition to recognize it and the
foresight to encourage it,
Similarly, one is forced to conclude
the trend of the times is working TO.
European unity. That it should be for
chilly imposed by methods of horror
| cruelty and brutal domination is ap-
palling. But those elements might no.
be so apparent today if past efforts to
unity Europe had not so often been
blocked by chicanery and force exercised
on the basis of purely national advan-
tage.
AS one prominent Canadian put it IL
| informal conversation at the Kingston
conference: After the overthrow @.
Hitler we shall have to be intelligen'
enough to recognize that some of hi
work was along the same permanent
line of uni1cation as was urged in oul
! discussions here"