BIG BILL THOMPSON

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 85, 8 February 1928, Page 5

BIG BILL THOMPSON

ANTIPATHY TO BRITAIN. SOME OP THE REASONS. (Special (Correspondent.) SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 10. Many people in New Zealand especially have been very much astonished at the recent fierce invectives 'hurled by Mayor Bill. Thompson, of Chicago, against Britain' and it has occurred to many that there must be Some reason for such frienzied utterances on the part of “Big- Bill.” It is well known, of course, that anti-British propaganda has been carried on for many years and with much greater persistance and success sine© the war. Foremost in these movements i s the German element with their wonderful organising ability so much in evidence during the war. The Germans have brought about an organisation whose methods ar e subtle and silent and their aim is to educate the growing generation in the same manner as the Fatherland in the past century. Behind Mr Thompson in hi s campaign against Britain and acting as his right hand man i s a German publisher who was rankly pro-Ger-man during the war and was eventually imprisoned and his papers suspended from publication.

Of course William Randoph Hearst. Owner of the “Detroit Times,” “Wisconsin News” “Chicago American,” and the “Chicago Herald Examiner” i s heart and soul with Mr Thompson i n his campaign, and it i s interesting to note in this connection that the papers owned by Hearst wer e the first papers who brought to light the supposed desires of the British Empire to “gain control of America”. Big Bill Thompson, however, is just a tool in the hands of these clever people who work upon hi s feelings, for it appears that Bill has a quarrel with Britain which is genuine enough.

It may not he widely known in New Zealand that Chicago i s endeavouring to drain the great lakes 'through a filthy sewer which i s called the Chicago Drainage (Canal and Canada has been repeatedly protesting, through both the Department of external Affairs and the British Foreign Office against this diversion of water which is so dangerous to navigation on the lakes. There are a ’number of strong interests On the American' side, who are adversley affected by thi s actum, especially the steel mills in Northern Ohio cities whose prosperity depends on the navigability of the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers down which the iro n ore i s shipped to Lake Superior. “Big Bill’ with the support of the town thought if possible to crush any opposition within ,the United .States. It is easily seen what a grave position would arise should great volumes of water be taken from the lakes. Many Candian and American firms would bo ruined as the lakes are always full of commercial shipping. After the Canadian External Affairs Department’s protests were ineffectual, (he aid of the British Foreign Office was sought, and as a result the United States War Department served a notice on Chicago, that in view of International complications and the disastrous results in certain important American industries, the drawing off of water from the lakes through the Drainage (Canal would have to cease and the treaties previously drawn up between the United States, (Canada and Britain respecting this issue would have to be respected. Under the present arrangements a certain amount of water is allowed to pass through the Canal but unless the treaty wa s respected it was •stated the right to take water at all ■would he revoked. Should Big Bill have had his way only a rowing boat would have been able to go from Lake Huran to Lake Erie.