Evening star., 1953-05-10
The Official Views

The Canadian and American gov
ernments agree that the st. Law.
renee seaway should be built. The
question of when is pretty we'll set
tied: The answer of both govern
mentS is now. The question of where
is contingent on the question of how,
but there is close agreement dictated
by hard facts of nature. Only the
question of how really remains at
issue. The American administration
wants construction to be joint un-
dertaking; Canada prefers a lone
hand.
American View. President Eisen-
hover last Friday came out strongly
in favor of the seaWay. Less than a
month ago, he wrote Senator Wiley
the following note, and sent a copy
to the Federal Power Commission:
At my request, the Notionol Security
Council has considered the notionoI Sc
eurity interests in the St. Lowrence- Greet
lokes Seowoy Project. The council hos
advised me:
u. EorIy nitiotion and completion OF
the Seowoy is in the interest Of
notionol security.
Y. The United Stotes should promptly
toke whatever oction moy be appropriate
to cHeor the way for commencement OF
the project, whether by Conodo alone,
or. now or os may be later developed,
by Conodo ond the United Stotes jointly.
.. 1t is desirable thot the United
Stotes participate in the construction Of
the seowoy; the extent Of ond Imito-
tions upon such participation to be the
subject Of seporote determination by
authority other thon the council"
The councils findings and reeommen-
dotions hove my approval; ond | propose
now to discuss with the cobinet the extent
OF and limitotions upon United Stotes
participation in the project. :.
Despite this stand by the Presi-
dent, 1t is far from a cut-and- dried
proposition that the -Dondero
measure can get through Congress.
Every President since Coolidge has
favored the seaway, without getting
anything done about it. AS nearly
as can be determined, sentiment on
Capitol Hill today is closely divided.
Senate Vote. An indication of this
division can be gained from look
ing at the lineup the last time the
SeaWay came to vote in the Sen
ate, in June, 1882 Debate was on
motion to recommit Cor kilD a
measure not unlike the present ones,
The vote. was 43 to 40 to recommit.
Examination of recorded or indi-
Gated sentiments of those who are
still in the Senate shows 40 tending
to favor the seaway and 40 against.
OF the 16 newcomers this session.
five can reasonably be assumed (on
regional grounds) to want a seaway
and six to be against it.
OF the remaining five doubtful
Senators, two probably would tend
to favor it and one might be as
Sumed to oppose it. The other two
are unknown quantities.
This would indicate. q probable
vote now of 47-47 with two unde-
termined. If one of these two went
for 1t and one against it, the mat
ter could be thrown into the hands
Of Vice President Nixon for a tie
breaking vote. He would be almost
certain to vote the administrators
way which, President Eisenhower
has made clear. is in favor of a
seaway. That is how he voted last
year.
Canadian View. The Canadians
want the power that will come out
Of the st. Lawrence. They also
want 27-foot navigation to the sea.
There is less jockeying for posi-
tion among interests in Canada
on the seaway, primarily because
there is less dispute about the
desirability Of the waterway.
Canada undoubtedly will work
out some sort Of deal with the
United States if Congress approves
a seaway bill. But it will not nec-
essarily take the Wiley -Dondero
measure.
And if litigation ties up the power
project indefinitely and Canada In
forced to go to coal for its elec-
tricity. that may spell the end Of
the seaway for q good, long time
to come.
Which Is just what the oppo.
nents Of the seaway would like to
see happen.