Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 16.djvu/198



178 W. D. LYMAN

possibilities of water power. It has been estimated that a fourth of all the water power of the United States is found upon the Columbia and its tributaries. By one stroke the canalization of rivers creates the potentialities of navigation, irrigation and mechanical power to a degree beyond computation. Our next great step must be the canalization of Snake River, and that process at another great stroke will open the river to con- tinuous navigation from a point a hundred miles above Lewis- ton to the ocean, over six hundred miles away. Then in logical sequence will follow the opening of the Columbia to the British line, and the Canadian government stands ready to complete that work above the boundary until we may anticipate a thou- sand miles of unbroken navigation down our "Achilles of Rivers" to the Pacific. Until this great work at Celilo was accomplished we could not feel confidence that the ultimate end of continuous navigation was in sight. Now we feel that it is assured, the most necessary stage is accomplished. It is only a question of time now till the River will be completely opened from Windemere to the Ocean. We welcome you, therefore, again on this occasion in the name of an assured accomplish- ment.

The second phase of this great accomplishment which espec- ially appeals to me now is the character of nationality and even of inter-nationality which belongs to it. While this is a work that peculiarly interests us of the Northwestern states, yet it has been performed by the National Government. Uncle Sam is the owner of the Celilo Canal. It belongs to the American pople. Each one of us owns about a ninety millionth of it and has the same right to use it that every other has. This suggests the unity, the inter-state sympathy and inter- dependence, which is one of the great growing facts of our American system. In this time of crime and insanity in Europe, due primarily to the mutual petty jealousies of races and boundaries, it is a consolation to see vision and rationality enough in our own country to disregard petty lines and join in enterprises which will conduce to the general weal. This Celilo