El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-03-02
THE Z. s. AND MEXICO\
Particulars of the Claims of Mexico for
Crops DESTROYED. -

cial journal:
Senior Romero, who represents the
Mexican government at Washington,
has laid before Mr.. OIney particulars
of Mexico's claim against the United
States, which Involves some novel
points. The Mexican government de-
mands large indemnify because Of the
diversion of the waters of the RlO
Graude by the Amer cans for 1rrlga-
| Llon purposes iu New NJ XlcO, which is
| d territory of The United States. The
| Rio Grade. known as the American
| n lie, has its source In southern Colo
RADIO, flows through New Mexico, and
becomes from the southern boundary
| of New NJ XiCo the boundary line be
tween the two republ cs, anu the Mex
| lean government ma ntalnS that under
! the Guadalupe Hidalgo treaty the Mex
| lean farmers on the MeXIc can side OF the
river are entlUled to sufficient OF the
waters of the river for irrigation of
| their lAnds, and that they are now be-
ing unjustly deprived of their proper
| ton OF The stream.
The Mexican minister points out, in
! his official communication, that the
city of Juarez, on the Mexican side of
| The r o Grande, opp site the Amerl-
can city of FL Paeo. has existed for
| more Jhau three hundred years. during
which time it's people have enjoyed the
use of the waters of the river for the
irrigation of their lands, but that now,
owing to the extensive appropriation
of the river for irrigation in New Mex
leo, the Mexican farmers are, from
June until March, when the river is
no mally at It's lowest, unable to ade-
quately irrigate their lands. The eli
mate of the Rio Grande valley is an
ideal one, the soil emlnently suited to
fruit and vine culture, and the irriga-
bic lands are of great value. Each
American stale beiGg a sOvereig nifty
within Itself, enjoying state RICH s Or
home rule, the federal authorities at
" ashington notwithstanding the terms
of the treaty with Mexico have no
power TO interfere with the diversion
in New Mexico of the warers of the
Rio Grande lat this point a nou-navi ga
BILE stream) for irrigation above the
point where the river becomes the
boundary line between the two repub-
lies. The Rio Grande is tOrrential
river, fed chiefly by the melting snow of
the Rocky mouDtalus-of great volume
for u part of the year, but occasionally
runs very low between July and March,
and. consequently, the compl stIon of
the large irrigation works now being
constructed in southern New Mexico
will cut Off the entire flow of the Rio
GraDde during the dried season. Last
summer the river was exceptionally,
low, and the American irrigators
diverted the whole of the stream. with
the result that the Mexican crops were
total failure, and as soon as the large
storage dam at Elephant Butte has been
completed, creating the largest artifi-
cal lake in the world, the entire flow
of the river during the dry season will
be impounded for lrrig alton just above
the Mexican boundary, and about So
600 acres of Mexican land Including
many extensive fruit farms and vine
yards will, it is alleged be thrown out
of cultivatlOn-cultiva without ir-
rigation being impossib ole. Hence
NJ xico's claim. The United States
had already recognized MeXico's
rights, to the extent OF appointing
commission to Investigate the matter
with d view to p~ividlng, if possible,
water to the Mexican farmers; but the
commission has reported that the RIO
Grande is the only possible
source of water supply. Cores
pond ence has also passed between the
authorities at Washin ton and the
company now carrying out the irrig -
tiOn works in New Nj XIco. 1t is un-
derstood that the company has consent
t d, upon payment OF u large subsidy by
the United States government, amount
ing TO several million DO lars, to supply
the Mexican farmers with water for
the irrigation of their lands at an an
nual water rent of Sl.5O per acre for
every acre irrigated. The NJ xIcan
farmers are ready and wiling to pay
the annual water rent if the United
States pay the company for the water
right. Not the least Interesting
feature of the case is that it is British
capital that is constructing
the irrigation works in New
Mexico, the right of impoundlng
the waters of the Rio Grande for irri- |
cation purpose beiag controlled by |
an English company. the Mexican |
minister demands al duration, COM
pensatlon, or water for the Irrl CATION |
of the Mexican lands, and as the Oily |
possible source of water supply is con-
trolled by The Rio Graude lrriga ton |
and Lana company, limited, the pros
poets of a large SUBSIDY from the Unit |
ed States government (maniiesJly the |
least expensive way out of the difficult |
ty for the United States) should be !
gratifying to the shareholders,