El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-05-26
USE OF THE RIO GRANDE.
Diversion of Its Waters to Be PrOhib-
tied by International Treaty.

tied by International Treaty.
In an open letter addressed to the
press and the people of New Mexico
and Colorado by w. A. Hawkins, at
torney for the Rio Grande Dam and
Irri ga ton company, some eXtraordl-
nary facts are presented on the govern
ment's policy regarding the use by
Americans of the waters of the r o
Grande and its tributaries. 1t is as
| serted that there row rests in the state
department at Washington a draft of a
| treaty between the United States and
Mexico. in which it is proposed to insert
| clause forbidding any diversion of
| the waters of the Rio Grande or any
| of its tributaries in the United States.
This proposed treaty is the outgrowth
| of a contest over water facilities which
| has been in progress ever since the
| building OF the great irrigation sys-
| TENS in southern Colorado twelve years
| ago, and the issue is forced now by an
| effort of the Rio Grande Dam and lrri-
| cation company to construct at Ele-
phant Butte, near old Fort Selden, n.
| NJ, 120 miles above the international
| boundary line, the largest water stor-
age plant in the world.
| Col. Arson Mills, an army officer,
who is at the head of the United : tates
| Mexican Boundary commission, work
ling in conjunction with the Mexican
| government, has for five years been
endeavoring to induce congress to pro-
vide So, 0O0, 900 for the construction of Il
so-called international dam at FL Paso,
under the plea that justice demands
that MeXicans and Texans be thus
| reimbursed for the loss of irrigation
facilities which they have suffered be-
cause of the larger use of the waters in
Colorado and New Mexico. President
Cleveland and Secretary Olney in
dOrsed the scheme, but congress de-
cided against it.
Then Mexican authorities aud border
land spectators who, according to MIR.
Hawkins, have secured control OF all
lands likely to derive the benefit by
building an international dam, set
about filing damage suits against the
United States with a view to forcing
the United States government to con-
struct the dam.
: 1t is charged that Secretary Olney
Encouraged the filing of such claims
j; snow aggreg eating S1O,OOO,OOO, the idea
being to relinqu Sh them in case con
gress came to time and provided the
) necessary appropriation. Col. Mills
f | it is alleged, has been in Washington
actively engaged in this enterprise fol-
a wear past. 1t is declared by Attorney
Hawkins that after the Elephant Butte
reservoir site was approved by Score
tary Hoke Smith and the right OF way
S through all public and private land:
2 secured, Col. Mills induced Secretar.
IOlrey to procure from Secretary Fran
| els an order suspending all applications
, for reservoir sites along the no Gran
/ | de until the fa.e of the internatlOna
dam was determined. Still, this die
mot check construction work on the
Elephant Butte enterprise, which ha(
: the full sanction Of the interior depart
ment.
Three millions OF securities were
: sold. partly at home and partly abroad
: large contracts were let, and the WORK
of construction was under full head
way. Then came the complaint say
a Mr.. Hawkins, from Mills people ant
g MeXicanS that under the treaty O.
f Quad HidalgO the Rio Grande i
= a navigable stream. The state depart
u ment took the matter up with Attor
q ney General Harmon, and forma
0 hearing was given the attorneys fol
| the Rio Grande Dam and Irrigation
company, with the result that three
Z important questions were decided
First. that Secretary Francis could no
revoke the action of his predecessor IL
: approving the Elephant Butte enter
prise: second, the Rio Grande was no
a navigable stream north of the inter
S national line; third, that the dammlng
e of the Rio Grande did not constitute s
: NlOldlIOil VI LAS u C0Oy VI ~ ooA"AoP
| Hidalgo.
) Then the new treaty idea was con
: ceivei and has since been pushed witt
, vfgor by Col. Mills and Minister Ro
. nero, for the sole purpose, it is claim
ed, of giving the international dan
!; syndicate the exclusive control of the
: waters, the basis of all land value:
e throughout the Rio Grande valley
The devastating result of this doctrine
says Mr.. Hawkins, if the governmen,
9 should be able to maintain it or asSen
to the proposed new treaty, would be
to uproot every water-storage plan
Y and de-trOy every private or public lr
J riga ion enterprise not alone IN Colo
, | RADIO ana New Mexico, but its prime!
pies can be fitted u al streams In the
southwest, including the Pecos river
, in Texas. which emptie5 into the Colo
t RADIO river or the Rio Grande.
Concluding, the attorney declares
the contention u miserable and thlnly
L yelled subterfuge on the part of to,
: United States government to lntlml
: date private enterprise, fO5tered anC
= encourage by American settlers re-
siding on either side of the Rio Grande
? valley for more than 100 miles, and as
q serts nat under the decision of Attor
: lney General McKenna in this case the
state of Colorado and territory of New
Mexico, become simply conduit
r through which the waters gathered or
| the mountains and plains OF that STATE