The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-06-12
RIO GRANDE'S WATER


uats Dspsvtmsns Contains . Drsfs Of sn
International Treaty Prohibiting the Di-
strssm-Connict Of Irrisstion Companies
In an open letter addressed 10 the press
rndo by w. A. Hawkins, attorney for the
Rio Grande Dam and Irrigation company,
some extraordinary facts have just been
presented as ~ the governments policy re-
garding the use by Americans Of the wa
tiers of the Rio Orande and It's tributaries.
II is asserted that there now rests In the
state department at Washington draft Of
n treaty between the United States and
Mexico, In which 1t IL proposed to insert q
clause forbidding any diversion OF the wa
ters Of the Rio Grnnde or any Of It's tribu-
taries In the United Stntes. This proposed
treaty is the outgrowth Of "a contest over
water facilities which has been In progress
ever since the building Of the great irriga-
tion systems In southern Colorado 12 years
ago, and the issue Is forced now by an
effort OF the Rio Grande Dam and Irriga-
tion company to construct at Elephant
Butte, near old Fort Selden, n. NJ, 120
miles above the international boundary
line, the largest water storage plant In the
world.
Colonel Anson Mills, retired army
officer, who Is at the head Of the United
States Mexican boundary commission,
working In conjunction with the Mexican
government, has for five years been en-
deavorinS to induce congress to provide
%. 900, 900 for the construction Of q So
called international dam at Ri Paso, under
tho plea that Justice demands that Mexi-
cans and Texans be thus reimbursed for
tho loss Of irrigation facilities which they
have suffered bosause of the larger use Of
tho waters In Colorado and New Mexico.
President Cleveland and Secretary Olney
fndprssd ths scheme, bat congress decid-
Cd against 10.
Then Mexican authorities and border
| land spsodiAtcss, who. according to MP.
Hawkins. base secured control Of al lands
likely to dsvivs the benefit by building an
iAtasnstionsl dam. - about Ming Gam
age suits sgainst Ne United States, with q
View p forcing the United States govern
nssnt 10 oonstrSls the dam.
II is charged that Secretary Olney en-
| souruged the Cling Of such claims, now
aggregating ei0. 900. 600, the idea being 10
| pelinquish them In csse congress came to
time and crowded the necessary appro-
| pYiaAion. Colonel Mills, 10 y alleged, has
besn in Warrington actively engaged In
| this enterprise for year past 1t 10 do
| s1arsd by Attorney aawkias that after the
| Rsphant Butte reservoir site was approved
| by Seorstszy Hdks Smith, and the right Of
through all public and private lands
/ saI Ind
! 10y 9 procure from Secretary Franois
! order suspendipg all applications for
| Ioarvoir gtcs along tho Rio GNnde until
he fato of the international dam was de-
armined. StiiA, this did not check CON-
Etuootion work on the Elephant Butte en-
teryrise, which bad the full sanction of
She interior depaStmept.
Three millions of securities were sold,
partly at home and partly abroad, large
contracts were let, and the work of con-
struotion was under full Roadway. Then
came the complaint, says Mr.. Hawkins,
from Mills people and Mex)0ans, that un-
der the treaty of Guadalupe Hidaljo tho
Rio Grande Is q navigable stream. The
state department took the matter up with
Attorney General Harmon, and a formal
bearing was given the attorneys for the
Rio Grande Dam and Irrigation company,
with the result that three Important ques-
tions were decided:
First, that Secretary Francis could not
revoke the action Of his predecessor in ap-
proving the Elephant Butte enterprise;
second, the Rio qrande was not a navi-
gable stream north Of the international
line; third, that the dainming Of the Rio
Grande did not constitute violation of
the treaty of Guadalupe Hidaljo.
| Then the new treaty idea was conceived
and has since been pushed with yigor by
Colonel Mills and Minister Romero, for
the sole purpose, 1t Is claimed of giving
the international dam syndicate the ex-
elusive control of the waters, the basis Of
| all land values throughout the Rio Grande
valley. The devastating result of this
doctrine, says Mr.. Hawkins, IL the gov
| ernment should be able TO maintain 1t or
assent to the proposed new treaty, would
be to uproot every water storage plant and
destroy every private or public irrigation
| enterprise not alone In Colorado and New
Mexico, for it's principles can be fitted to
! all streams in tho southwest, including
the Pecos river In Texas, which empties
Into tho Colorado river or the Rio Grande.
Concluding, the attorney declares the
| contention miserable and thinly yelled
subterfuge on the part of the United
States government to intimidate a private
enterprise, fostered and encouraged by
American settlers residing on either side
Of the Rio Grande valley for more than
| 100 miles, and assexts that under the deci-
sion OF Attorney General McKenna In this
case the state of Colorado and territory of
New Mexico become simply conduit
through whioh the waters gathered on the
mountains and plains OF that state and
territory may run to aliens, but which
citizens dare not usc.-St. Louis Globe
Democrat.