El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-11-14
UNCLE SANS
ATTITUDE
In the Great international
Dam Project One of
Equal Rights.
SPECIAL COUNSEL BURCH
Of the Department of Justice Gives
Out an Authoritative Sta te
ment and Explains the Position
the Government Takes in the
Matter.

|
Judge Marsden G. Burch, of Grand
Rapids, Michigan, special counsel tC
the department of justice, is in the
city at the Grand Central.
Judge Burch has charge of the case
the great dam prOjec and ID on his way
to Mexico to learn the views of the
Mexican officials relative to the pro-
posed international dam and to en-.
deavor to convince the Mexican Off
cials of the intention of the United
States government to preserve the
rights of the people of both countries,
but also to restore to those living in
the valley on both sides of the Rio
Gr8nde those rights of which they
have been deprived.
The Judge was seen at his hotel by a
| representative of the HERALD and
made the following statement, which
! sets forth clearly the position of the
United States government in this in
ternatiOnal dispute.
Judge Burch is very adverse to air
ing the affairs of the department of
justice in the newspapers and makes
the following statement solely for the
purpose of showing the part the gov
ernment intends to take, and to cor
rect certain misleading statements, all
of which have been made without au-
thority.
1.-THE Washington correspondent of
the St. Louis Globe-Democrat," he
said, sis misleading in certain re-
that paper. A correction Is called
for before erroneous Impressions are
created as to the attitude of the de-
partment of justice.
"Of the attitude of the government
of the United States toward Mexico
no one outside of the state department
OR the president and his staff have
right to speak.
''As to the department of Justice, it
is composed of the lawyers of the
government, and men of our profession
do not aim to travel in band wagons or
try cases in the newspapers before
hand or after the contest in the courts.
"The department of Justice, bowev-
er, contains no enemies to irrigation;
nor has it any partisan friends of navi-
cation as opposed to irrigation. It's at
all parties Interested in good faith in
irriga tion along the Rio Grande.
This means Colorado, New Mexico
and Texas and the republic of Mexico
But further than that it aims to be ag-
gressively impartial between sections |
and localities if needs be. To be more
definite, 1t will not be fair for the gov.
ernmenG OF Gne u nlteQ states, which
alone has control of the waters of this
great river, to stand by aud permit |
one section to mOnOpOliZe such waters
for any purpose TO the exclusion and
at the expense of all others.
ITO such extent as the Elephant |
Butte project threatens this, the Unit !
ed States will be active in It's opposf-
tion: it will not be unfriendly, but \
rather friendly to any course which |
will not endanger the relative rights |
of those who need water further down
the stream, as for instance, in the Ell
Paso valley.
"On the other hand, the department
of justice cannot take and will not at
tempt to take any particular action>in
'avor of Ell Paso valley or the proposed
International dam. It will only en-
1eavor to see that the srelative rights
'f the people here are secured and
as against monopoly or
'gression at Elephant Butte or else
vhere up the river.
$50 far of the dam here or in this j.,
'icinity in concerned the department !
# justice can do nothing but keep the !
ield clear for fair play-for equal dis l
of water-leaving congress and /
he other departments to deal with :!
uestiops of international interest, as
'ell as to the policy of using public ;
loney for irrigation.
1--WE are just in this matter, with a "
riendly feeling for all, and desire to :
'e fair play at all hazards"
ID