Harnessing the St. Lawrence A treaty embodying the agreement between
Canada and the United States over the huge St. Lawrence Waterway plan was signed in Washington on Monday, marking, as President Hoover said, another step forward in the greatest internal improvement yet undertaken on the North American continent. The design is to provide a 27-ft. deep waterway to the Great Lakes, thus admitting all ocean-going steamers except the largest to the inland ports as far west as Wisconsin and Minnesota. The effect upon the life of the entire Middle West, with the provision of immense reserves of hydro-electric power, must be incalculable. The treaty deals with the international section of the St. Lawrence—that is, the river as constituting for 115 miles the frontier between Ontario and New York _State. A Central Commission, upon which the two countries are to have equal representation, will undertake the river works, the cost being borne by the United States, and each country will build itself a navigation canal at its own cost. The scheme has been fought for many years by the great interests on both sides, , especially by the railroads, by Montreal and other important centres, and it is fully realized that the battle will be continued in the United States Senate. But its eventual triumph is certain, and the final consumma- tion of the long-drawn negotiations reflects high credit on the Governments of both countries.
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