| OCR Text |
Show WATERWAY MAY DEFEAT KING Canadians Speculate as to Purpose of Prime Minister's Trip BY J. A. STEVENSON Canadian Parliamentary Correspondent Correspond-ent Sprcial Iispatoh to The Standard-Examlner. Standard-Examlner. (Copyright, 1922, by The Standard-Examiner. Standard-Examiner. OTTAWA, July 16 The visit of , Mr. Mackenjrio King, prime minister of Canada, to Washington this week occasioned oc-casioned considerable surprise In Ottawa Ot-tawa when it was announced and there la still much speculation us to the exact purpose of his mission. t Is known, however, that he wanted want-ed to ascertain the views of various! members of the Harding administration administra-tion on a variety of questions. There are now outstanding for settlement set-tlement a number of controversial issues is-sues between the two countries which are beyond the purview of the International Inter-national Joint commission and must! be tackled by diplomatic negotiations QUESTION OF DAM. Among others is the question of the Chicago drainage canal and Its ef feet I upon lake lovels and the problems of' international waters in the Lake of1 I he Woods area. Next year the prob- lem of the dam which the Canadian government allowed the American Al-luminum Al-luminum company to construct during dur-ing the war years at the Long Saulte raplda on the St Lawrence has to be faced and there are problems about cooperation for the better enforcement Of orohl httlon nnH Hahani n Members of the Harding administration administra-tion doubtless expectod Mr King to discuss the St Lawrcnco waterway Bchome but probably found htrn somewhat some-what unresponsive in the present perilous per-ilous state of his political fortunes for I his Quebec followers cannot be induced in-duced to abate their hostility to it ni the other hand support for it is accumulating ac-cumulating in the western provinces and tho Idea Is growing that the material exl9ts for a comprehensive I agreement between tire two countries1 covering a number of economic .md transportation problems. WANT REPR EM ENTATTVE In many quarters here the hope Is expressed that Mr. King did not broach the subject of commercial reciprocity re-ciprocity The views of the Canadian government have been niad known I t Washington by Mr. Fielding thv j finance minister and their reiterath n' aftor so brief an Inteixul would it' is held, show a too patent anxiety for a reciprocity treaty which might cause a harder bargain to bo offered Canada. Can-ada. The Ottawa Journal, a conservative organ and other Canadian paper.' express ex-press the hope that Mr King's vlsdt to Washington will hasten the appointment appoint-ment of a Canadian minister there arguing that this personal pllgrlma :e of the premier completely demonstrates demon-strates tho desirability of special Canadian Cana-dian representation. The British embassy em-bassy at Washington has not l. few critics in Canada and they are more numerous under the present regime than ever before but Its Inefficiency or I lUHuwraci is oesiue tne point 'tho fact a that there are arising dallv questions which demand for satisfactory satisfac-tory treatment n special knowledge of Canadian conditions and the Canadian point of view. MANY DRAWBACKS. The British ambassador ami his staff would be capable of dealing in a fashion with these problems but obviously they could be more speedily and efficiently handled by a direct ropreaentatlve of Canada. It has been contended that a Canadian minister Is unnecessary because It Is always possible pos-sible for some Canadian minister to proceed to Washington on short notice and take up any urgent matter. But such a procedure has plainly many drawbacks. First, it falls to meet the primary requirement of continuity in negotiation nego-tiation and tho understanding of policy. pol-icy. Tho question Of international controversy which ran be settled Inside In-side a day. a week or cvon a month are very few. the majority of them require, protracted rn-firotlatlons oc-cupylng oc-cupylng months and Involving frequenf i c h inges of views Second, the method of neg'-'llutluns by periodical trips of ministers or- officials lacks irn advantage of the persona.) faetor, which plays so large a part In diplomat diplo-mat ! business. PREVENT FRICTION. A resident representative soon acquires ac-quires a wide acquaintanceship among the political leaders; he establishes good personal relations with them and acquires a knowledge of tho persons with whom negotiations must ho con-du con-du ted. If h'j. has any flair for dlplo-tnacs dlplo-tnacs he Is tn a short tlrn In a position posi-tion to negotiate with much greater' facility than would he possible foi BBfassasssswBSSSSM!wBffggJiJ'j. r- Jany visiting minister, who was unfamiliar un-familiar with the ground Third, tho 'method of Intermittent visits cannot pro, idu for tho fulfillment of one of the most useful functions of dlplo-macy, dlplo-macy, the forstalling of prejudicial ac- , tlon by the presentation of timely in- formation or representations. A miri- lster on the spot can prevent dangerous danger-ous friction by scotching trouble whn It shows its head |
