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ment of the United States — it being the party who should negotiate 

 proceedings — to communicate at the earliest possible moment with the 

 Government of Canada, in order not only that the whole of the greater 

 question may be discussed but that this particular difificulty may be 

 discussed with a view of making it operative and satisfactory for 

 purposes of the present war and at the earliest moment of time. My 

 learned friend suggests that that means delay. They do not want it. 

 The president of their company does not want it. It takes time and 

 can never be done. If the United States wants it done I have 

 authority to say: Let them apply to Canada and the question of delay 

 in adjusting these matters will not be the fault of Canada. 



Mr. Koonce: Will you please state how that can be brought 

 about? 



Mr. Guthrie: Let the Secretary of War send a telegraphic 

 communication to Sir Robert Borden, and two men can settle this 

 matter in an hour. We are dealing with the Government of the 

 United States and not with a very weighty private corporation, and 

 that is a very grave distinction. I submit to you that, if this dam 

 were to go in and become the property of this private company, it 

 will never come out and that the river will be blocked. I heard it 

 suggested by counsel, "Suppose it were put in and we rip it out at 

 the end of the war." If it goes in it will never come out. The 

 company is too strong. Three or four years from now they will say, 

 "Look at the money we have spent. Leave it there." We want to 

 be in a position of dealing fairly and squarely with the Government 

 of the United States, because we apprehend that this is an interna- 

 tional matter. If the two Governments should refer it to this Com- 

 mission — and I think probably they would refer the greater question 

 to this Commission — -all well and good. Your jurisdiction would then 

 be complete, but, in the meantime, my suggestion — I can only make 

 it as a suggestion — is that my learned friend Mr. Koonce should use 

 the telegraph wires and ask his Government to make an intimation — 

 and I am sure that in a few hours it will receive a reply — and, if a 

 commission will come to Canada, or we go to Washington, this particu- 

 lar matter will be dealt with satisfactorily to both Governments, and 

 the lack of production needed for the war will not lie at the door of 

 Canada. My submission, to be very brief, is that, under the language 

 of the Ashburton treaty, Canada has treaty rights which must not be 

 interfered with. 



Mr. Tawney: Pardon me for asking you one question with 

 reference to the construction of the Webster-Ashburton Treaty. It 

 may have some bearing upon this matter. Was there any protest 

 by Canada or by Great Britain to the diversion from the South 

 channel of the Long Sault of the water of that channel, or any part 

 of it, through the power canal of the St. Lawrence River Power 

 Company at the time that diversion was authorized by the United 

 States Government? 



Mr. Guthrie: I am not in a position to answer that question, 

 but I was in the House of Commons, as was also a member of your 

 Commission, at the time this question occupied the attention of the 



