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rence River Power Company applied for and secured permission from 

 the Secretary of War of the United States to undertake certain works 

 in the South Sault channel, namely, to dredge a channel through 

 what is known as Dodge shoal, to construct a moveable ice boom 

 and to extend to Long Sault island, by means of a submerged weir, 

 the jetty or deflecting dyke already existing in the South Sault 

 channel. It was stated that the object in view was, through the 

 effect of these works on the river ice formations, to secure during the 

 winter season an increased development of hydro-electric power 

 in the company's power plant at Massena, New York, which is 

 dependent for its operation upon a diversion of the waters of the St. 

 Lawrence river. The construction of the submerged weir was only 

 permitted by the Secretary of War subject to the approval of the 

 International Joint Commission; the other works, however, were 

 approved, without the knowledge of the Canadian Government and 

 without any reference to the Commission, and have in whole or in 

 part been proceeded with. 



Although the immediate completion of all these works has been 

 represented as being highly desirable and even urgently necessary, 

 almost a year was allowed to elapse before the St. Lawrence River 

 Power Company took steps to fulfil the condition imposed by the 

 Secretary of War in respect of the proposed submerged weir; it was 

 not until August 9, 1918, that the company's plans and application 

 for approval thereof were filed at the offices of the International Joint 

 Commission at Washington. Thereafter, on August 12, before any 

 notice of the application had been formally served upon the Canadian 

 Government, counsel for the United States Government presented 

 a motion before the International Joint Commission in the course of 

 a hearing upon another matter, praying that the hearing on the 

 application should proceed at that session, notwithstanding the 

 Commission's rules of procedure, which require notice and publication 

 of the application and provide for a considerable period for the filing 

 of counter statements. In support of his motion, counsel represented 

 on behalf of the United States that the St. Lawrence River Power 

 Company was supplying the electrical power essential to its parent 

 corporation, the Aluminum Company of America, one of the world's 

 chief producers of aluminium; that the proposed works would result 

 in an increased production of aluminium during the coming winter 

 months estimated at six mii'ion pounds; and that this increased 

 production was urgently necessary for the purposes of the Government 

 of the United States and the Allies in the prosecution of the war. 

 Counsel, therefore, urged that it should be made possible to hold an 

 immediate hearing on the merits of the appHcation. 



Counsel for the Canadian Government, having had no oppor- 

 tunity to secure instructions, opposed the motion, dec'aring at the 

 same time the readiness of his Government to co-operate in all 

 necessary war measures and urging that the matter was more prop3rly 

 one for direct consultation between the Governments 



After consideration, the International Joint Commission ordered 

 the suspension of the rules and fixed the hearing of the application 

 for August 29 at Montreal. 



