DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF THE FLORIDA CANAL 365

during the World War and more recently England has enlarged its inland canal
system,.and Belgium has extended its system.
 May we suggest, therefore, that the construction of the Florida ship canal
be again submitted to the Senate, possibly as a part of the burden of providing
adequate national defense?
 Very truly yours,
 PosT AND WATERWAY SURVEY,
 By J. J. O'BRIEN.
 Mr. Fr rCHEa Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to insert in the
Record a statement concerning the Florida ship canal and also an editorial
from the Tropical Sun of West Palm Beach, Fla., of the issue of March 20,
1936, under the heading Bad for Florida.
 There being no objection, the statement and editorial were ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
 "THE ATLANTIC-GULF WATERWAY

 "President Roosevelt allocated $5,400,000 to begin construction of the project,
 which has been spent or obligated to be spent. The work is under direct super-
 vision of engineers of the War Department and has progressed in a most satis-
 factory manner. The Chief of Engineers, War Department, recommended to
 the Director of the Budget that $12,000,000 be provided for continuing work
 during the fiscal year 1937. The Director approved that recommendation and
 submitted it to the President, who also approved and included it in the War
 Department Budget transmitted by him to Congress.
 "Therefore, after consideration of all matters involved, the Chief of Engineers,
 the Director of the Budget, and the President approved and recommended that
 Congress appropriate $12,000,000 to continue the work.
 "Opposition to this project comes mainly from persons who are misinformed.
 regarding conditions that exist and benefits that would accrue to the Nation
 and the State of Florida. Thousands of dollars have been expended by selfish
 interests, who appear determined to prevent completion of the waterway, irre-
 spective of the benefits that would accrue to them, directly and indirectly."
 [From the Tropical Sun, West Palm Beach, Fla., Mar. 20, 1936]
 "BAD FOB FLORIDA

 "Last Wednesday was a bad day for Florida.
 "The defeat of the cross-State canal appropriation means, among others-
 "That the South is still the stepchild of the Republic in distribution of funds
 for internal improvements;
 "That we lose the current benefits to flow from expenditure of $150,000,000 of
 public money within the confines of this State;
 "That we lose the international advertising of the State and its resources
 which would have necessarily resulted from continuation of the canal work;
 "That thousands of our fellow citizens who would have found work and wages
 on the canal will again go hungry and jobless;
 "That the profits which contractors and materialmen would have reaped from
 canal contracts will not accrue. *
 "But for their drivel as to canal damage to the State's fresh-water supply by
 infiltration of salt into our surface and underground water supplies we have
 and express the utmost contempt.
 "The facts disprove any such possible damage because-
 "First. For uncounted thousands of years surplus fresh water from south
 Florida has been borne into the Atlantic Ocean at Jacksonville by the St. Johns
 River, some 300 miles from its source.
 "Second. The tides have carried salt water from the ocean inland as far as
 Palatka, on the St. Johns, and up other rivers and harbors of the State for
 unknown ages, without affecting the fresh water at Jacksonville or other adja-
 cent points.
 "Third. Ocean and Gulf have surrounded Florida ever since it became a
 peninsula, and Tampa, Miami, and all other centers have had no trouble in
 obtaining ample fresh-water supplies.