Evening star., 1951-09-28
Canada Offers
To Build Seaway
WithoutU. Aid
St. Laurent Flies Here
To See Trumun on
Blocked Joint Plan
By Joseph A. Fox

SVSePH -. FOA
The Canadian government to-
day offered to construct the st.
Lawrence waterway as an inde-
pendent venture, in the event of
continued inaction on the project
OF Congress. The offer was an
nounced after a White House con-
ference between President Truman
and Canadian Prime Minister
Louis st. Laurent.
The White House said Mr.. Tru-
man was willing to accept the
Canadian offer as the second best
solution Of the 17-year-old issue
but still hoped it could be put
through as Joint program of the
two governments.
Roughly. the Canadians are
proposing to develop the Great
Lakes to the Atlantic link, with
its accompanying water power in
Stallations on their own side of
tIlc 81. Lawrence.
Such a program, it is believed,
would require only the approval
of the United States-Canadian In
ternational Joint Commission and
would not call for congressional
action. A 10-year-old agreement
between the United States and
Canada has been repeatedly
blocked in Congress throughout
the Roosevelt and Truman ad-
ministrations. The bill has been
Ipigeon-holed again this year by
the House Public Works and SEN
ate Foreign Relations Committees.
Prime Minister st. Laurent told
reporters after he left the 30-min-
ute conference we are prepared
to go ahead"
The program is expected to be
laid before the Canadian Parlia-
ment at its opening session Octo-
Der 8.
Text of Communique.
After the meeting between Mr.
Truman and Mr.. st. Laurent and
their advisers, this communique
was issued:
THE President and the Prime
Minister discussed the st. Law
renee project. They agreed on the
vital Importance to the security
and the economies Of both coun.
tries, OF proceeding as rapid,
as possible with both the seaway
and power phases of the project
They explored the matter of thu
next steps to be taken In achievins
the early construction of the prof.
ect.
They both agreed that it woule
be more desirable to proceed alonl
the lines of the 1941 agreemen
between the United States ant
Canada.
THE Prime Minister informed
the President of the needs O
Ontario for power and of tn,
arrangement the Canadian gov
ernment could make with the gov
ernment of that province for it
participation with the appropriat,
Federal or State authority in tn,
United States for the power de-
velopment.
| Willingness Cited.
I'm this circumstance, the Prim
Minister indicated the Canada,
government would be willing t,
construct the seaway as a Cana
dian project if it is not possible
to have the joint development un
Idertaken on the basis of the 1874
agreement.
THE President expressed hi
|strong preference for joint actiol
on the seaway and his hope tha
the Congress would soon authoriz
such action, but stated he woul,
support Canadian action as secon,
best If an early commencement O
1.-THE joint development does no
lprove possible"
Railroads, Power Opposed.
Some, of the most determine,
Opposition to the project, which
has been before Congress sine,
1884, has come from the railroads
Prime Minister st. Laurent flew
to Washington especially for thi.
st. Lawrence conference and wa.
leaving Immediately afterwards fol
his home in Quebec.
Mr.. st. Laurent was accompa.
MED to the White House by Nor
man Robertson, clerk to the Prisy
Council and secretary to the cab
Iinet; j. w. Pickersgill, personneI
assistant to the Prime Minister
land Hume Wrong, the Canadian
Ambassador. Ranged with Presi-
dent Truman were Undersecretary
of State James E. Webb, George
Nv. Perkins, Assistant Secretary OF
State. and Stanley Woodward, tie
! American Amha sea rior ta ror.do