The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-06-07
p1O GRANDE's WATER
.-.oYs EFFORT TO RESERVE ALL
s'"' OF IT FOR MEXICO.

.,t Contains Draft Of an
st'" .,,onal Treaty Prohibiting the d.
,.r.,on of the Waters OF the historic
Conflict of Irrigation Companies
Ian letter addressed TO the press
ID a. roonle of New Mexico and Colo
anu W. 4 Hawkins, attorney for the
rsaO " Dam and Irrigation company
ny nv extraordinary facts have Jus. oeen
SUI o1,orted as to the government poiicy 10
p' .ainc the use by Americans OF the wa
eal''1fI the Rio Grande and its tributaries
'e,s ~ assorted that there now rests In the
,.,ortnent at Washington draft OF
s'1 ,roaty between the United states ana
wa" in which it is proposed to insert q
MeA'sy sorbidding any diversion of the we
e"'.v ,ho Rio Grande or any of It's tribu-
p's y" ,he United states This proposed
tbe outgrowth Of contest over
ma,crtcilites which has been In progress
since the building of the great irriga-
Wv. svstems in southern Colorado IL years
w" "a tbp issue Is forced now by an
% the Rio Grande Dam and lrriga-
.tfnr N
eiO'' ao,onony TO construct at Elephant
uOu a.o roar old Fort Selden, n. M, 100
pT 'aS aboye the international boundary
nn tbo largest water storage plant In the
world ,,,,. ,o.,rod army
officer. who is at the head OF the ohi,eu
Stotos. Mexican boundary commission
Jerking in conjunction with the Mexican
'ovarnment has for five years been en-
soovorinp to induce congress TO provide
90 ana 600 for the construction OF So
Gil International dam at El Paso, under
~" n,oa that Justice demands that Next
."os and Texans he thus reimbursed for
.sa loss of irrigation facilities which they
saro suffered because of the larger use OF
A., ,,oters i'm Colorado and New Mexico.
p.osident Cleveland and Secretary Olney
,ndorsed the scheme, but congress decid-
ed against 1t.
Tben Mexican authorities and border
land sneculators, who, according TO Mr..
Hawkins. have secured control OF all lands
ul,elv to derive the benefit by building an
International dam, set about filing dam
ACE s1its against the United States, with u
wow 70 forcing the United States govern
ment TO construct the dam.
If is charged that Secretary Olney en-
corrooed the fling of such claims, now
oucreoating SO, coo, 600, the idea being TO
rplinquish them in case congress came TO
time and provided the necessary appro-
priation. Colonel Mills, 1t is alleged, has
been in Washington actively engaged In
this enterprise for n year past 1t is de-
clared nv Attorney Hawkins that after the
Elephant Butte reservoir site was approved
BY Secretary Hoke Smith, and the right OF
way through all public and private lands
secured. Colonel Mills induced Secretary
Olney to procure from Secretary Francis
an order suspending all applications for
reservoir sites along the Rio Grande until
the fate of the international dam was de-
termined Still, this did not check con
struction work on the Elephant Butte en-
terprise, which had the full sanction OF
the interior department.
Three millions of securities were sold,
partly at home and partly abroad, large
contracts were let, and the work of con
struction was under full Roadway. Then
came the complaint, says Mr.. Hawkins
from Mills people and Mexicans, that un
der the treaty of Guadalupe Hidaljo the
hlO NlUuNt Is u nuNlSubio Suietthi' NV
state DEPARTMENT took the matter up will
Attorney General Harmon, and forma
hearing was given the attorneys for thu
Rio Grardc Dam and Irrigation company
with the result that three important ques
tons were decided:
First, that Secretary Francis could no
revoke the action of his predecessor in APP
proving the Elephant Butte enterprise
second, the Rio Grande was not navi
gable stream north of the internationa
line third, that the damming of the Ri
Grande did not constitute violation o
the treaty of Guadalupe Hidaljo.
Then the new treaty idea was conceived
and has since been pushed with vigor b!
Colonel Mills and Minister Romero, 70
the sole purpose, it is claimed, of givin!
the International dam syndicate the ex
elusive control of the waters, the basis o
all land values throughout the Rio Grand
valley. The devastating result of thi
doctrine says Mir Hawkins, If the gov
eminent should be able to maintain 1t o
assent to the proposed new treaty, woul
be to uproot every water storage plant am
destroy every private or public irrigation
enterprise not alone in Colorado and New
aSAVO, lor lls principles can DC Htleu I
all streams in the southwest, including
the Pecos river in Texas, which emptie
INTO the Colorado river or the Rio Grande
Concluding, the attorney declares tn
contention miserable and thinly veile
suotertuge on the part of the Unite
states government to intimidate privat
enterprise, fostered and encouraged b
american settlers residing on either sid
vi the Rio Grande valley for more tina
lVo niles, and asserts that under the dec
SION OF Attorney General McKenna in thi
Sase The state of Colorado and territory
new Mexico become simply conduit
snrough which the waters gathered on tn
nouhlalns and plains of that state an
Wrr'tory may run TO aliens, but whic
T,'izehs dare not USE st Louis Globe
Democrat