Evening star., 1953-05-09
Canadians Assured
OF Administrations
Support Of Seaway
By Joseph A. Fox


Prime Minister Louis Saint
Laurent of Canada was ending
his visit here today with new
official backing from this Gov
ernment for joint action with
Canada in the construction of
the long-pending st. Lawrence
Waterway project.
AS President Eisenhower and
the Canadian Chief of State
were holding their final discus
sions of the Prime Minister'S
three-day visit here, the White
House issued a statement an
nouncing that the cabinet had
approved unanimously a report
of a special cabinet committee
named by Gen. Eisenhower
which said that participation by
the United States in the seaway
project would be highly desira-
BILE" if construction were limited
to the International Rapids Sec
tion of the river.
This is a 44-mile link between
Lake Erie and Montreal and in
this country starts near Kings
ton, Ont. That is shorter than
the original concept of the wa
terway development and is eSti-
mated to cost the United States
about $95 million.
Approved by President.
The cabint report, which had
the approval of the President,
raised one point which observers
said would necessitate more dis
cussion between the two govern
ments by advocating construc-
ton of the International Rapid
section canal on the United
States rather than the Canadian
side of the river.
The International Joint Com
mittee on which representatives
of this Government and Canada
sit rejected this idea several
months ago.
The new support for the sea-
way project came after Canada
had decided to go ahead with the
program independently of this
Government, because Of Con-
gress' repeated refusals to ap-
prove American participation.
Railroads Are Opposed.
The seaway, which will open a
path from the Middle West to the
Atlantic, has been fought by
railroad interests and some East
ern ports which feared loss OF
revenue.
Presidents for many years have
backed the seaway plan and
when the issue bobbed up in this
administration, President Eisen-
hover put a cabinet committee
composed of representatives OF
State, Defense, Commerce and
Interior Departments to work
studying the project.
The National Security Council
already had said that the project
was desirable from the stand
point of national defense.
The White House statement
said it had been agreed that "the
interests of the United States
taken as a whole" make partici-
patton desirable.
Three Conditions Set Up.
The committee said this par
ticipation should be expressly
conditioned" on three bases:
1. Satisfactory assurance that
the power project, which will be
a prerequisite to dredging the
seaway, will go ahead pursuant
to appropriate authorization"
2. Satisfactory assurance that
Canada will go ahead with its
part of the navigation project in
cooperation with the United
States.
8. Predication of the project
on a self -liquidating basis.
The power project is to be the
Joint endeavor of the New York
State and Ontario governments.
The New York Power Authority
has an application before the
Federal Power Commission for
authority to build a dam near
Massena, in northeastern New
York. This development will cost
about SIS million.
In the customary joint COM
munique which summed up the
discussion between President Eli
senhoWer and the Canadian
Prime Minister, it was empha-
sized that the President told the
Canadian official of his support
for the entire st. Lawrence pro-
gram and expressed hope for an
early favorable decision by the
Power Commission on the license
application.
Defense Advantage Seen.
The cabinet committee joined
the National Security Council in
expressing belief that the seaWay
would give increased defense ad-
vantages to this country and
would strengthen the United
States strategic position for
transportation of basic mate
rials.
It expressed conviction that
"early initiation and completion
are desirable"
Press Secretary James c. Hag-
erty said President Eisenhower
would acquaint Congress with
the latest developments in new
move to get action.
D.r4 I;mn IIehnr efahhnd