A TREATY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 74, 30 March 1910, Page 7

A TREATY.

AMERICAN WATERWAYS. NOTIFICATION BY MR. BRYCE. CANADA'S ACCEPTANCE. By Telegraph.~-Pre«« Association.— Copyright. (Received March 30, 9 a.m.) LONDON, 29th March. The Washington correspondent of the Morning Post states that tho Right Hon. James Bryce, British Ambassador to the United States, has notified to tho United State* Government Canada's acceptance of the Waterways Treaty. Th© following synopsis of the Waterways Treaty was supplied by The Times' correspondent at Washington: — The preservation of the levels of all the international waters in tho North American Continent is a subject of vast importance to the pcoplo of tho two countries, but in regard to one river, the Niagara, the whole world is interested. One mile above the Falls the water flows evenly between the United States and Canada, but as it approaches the- crest of tho falls the current swings over towards the Canadian side. The waterways commissioners recommended that the limit of Canada's rights should not exceed 36,000 ft per second, and, in order to preserve the American Falls, a limit was suggested of 18.500 cubic feet pet second for the United States. The latter provision has been increased by tho new treaty Ut 20,000 ft., as experiments ! made last summer at the instance of tho American commissioners demonstrated that the effect of the diversion of water on tho American Falls was less than had been anticipated. Therefore, 20,000 ft per second was granted to the United States by the treaty. Canada received 16,000 ft* more than her neighbour, and this will enable tho three companies on the Ontario side to develop 425,000 horse-power, as against 236,000 on the- New York side The State of New York has shown its interest in maintaining Niagara Falls unimpaired by cancelling the unlimited charters given to two companies to take -water from th© Niagara River some distance above the falls. The recommendation of the International I Waterways Commission was to limit Chicago to 10,000 cubic feet. By tho new treaty neither country can take any action which will lower the levels of the waters of the Great Lakes without leave of the commission. In the opinion of competent authorities tho diversion of 20,000 feet per second for the Chicago. Canal will seriously affect tho levels of Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and the St. Lawrence River. It is not likely, thereforo, that the commission, which will be created under the treaty, will authorise the diversion of so large a ! quantity of water. The duration of the treaty was suggested as 25 v years, but I the decision to confine it to five years bhows that it is somewhat of an experimental character. It is quite expected that after the experience of flve y^arb a, | renewal for a longer period will folI low.