711.42157 SA 29/1640

The Canadian Minister (Christie) to the Secretary of State

No. 367

Sir: I have the honour to refer to your note of May 28th, 1938,5 to my predecessor, transmitting an informal and tentative draft of a proposed general Treaty providing for the development of the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Basin.

The general question has recently been under detailed consideration by the Canadian Government, and discussions have taken place with representatives of the Province of Ontario on the question of power development in which Ontario is primarily concerned.

Before reaching a conclusion upon the broader questions of policy involved the Canadian Government consider that it would be desirable that a number of questions of detail should be taken up by representatives of the United States and Canada. The Canadian Government would be pleased to make arrangements for a meeting in Ottawa in the near future between members of the public services of the two countries and their technical advisers for the purpose of clarifying a number of the issues involved. The meeting would be entirely informal and preparatory to a more comprehensive discussion.

I should be glad if I might be furnished with an expression of the views of the Government of the United States upon the foregoing,

I have [etc.]

Loring C. Christie