Arizona republican., 1904-12-11
Settlement of the Con- tentiOn of the Rio GraRde
A 3-CORNfRFO QUARREL
Mexico, New Mexico and Texas the Parties-The Late National Irriga- ton Congress Poured Oil On the Troubled Waters.

Washington, D. C., Dec. 10. (SpeciaI) For more than quarter of a centur5- tine Texans. New Mexicans and Mex jeans on the Rio Grande have wa~es a three -cornered fight over the water rights of that river. and at times the feeling has become so intense tnat ac- tual warfare seemed imminent Yet ar the recent national irrigation consreSs held at Fl Paso the harmony and jubl- lance which characterized the joint ses- sion of the delegates from Mexico. Tex as and New Mexico were so great as to almost amount to love feast To those familiar with the conditions and temper of the citizens of the valley this was source of wonder and sur prise and not a little qualification.
 Since irrigation came into practice in the west. the people Of the Rio Grande valley have been divided on the subject of the equable division CT the waters of the IfVer and upon the pest methods of flood sto-ege. Fl PaSo and Mexico have labcred nanfuHv for a great storage dam above Fl Paso un- der international supervision. whIch would reclaim the valley below Fl PasO and Jua-ez, and for fourteen years this proposition ihaS received the attention Of the government. Numerous bills have been introduced in congress To se cure the necessary appropriation. but without success New Mexico has bit terly opposed the international dam. faVoring a storage system farther up the river to reclaim the MesiIia valley.
 THE CAUSE OF THE HARMONY
 At the irrigation congress. oil was poured upon the troubled waters by the chlet engineer of the reclamation Se-- wee and his boaFd Of consulting engI- neers, through tneir presentation of a plan which met with the unanimous approval of the delegates This plan Is the direct outcome Of the recOnnais- sance work in 1902 of Arthur P. Davis. assistant chief engineer Of the rsclaEns- ton service.
 Early in 1902 MT. Davis made q care fuI reoonnaissance>Of the Vansy 10 as certain the comparative merits of the international and Elephant Butte pro- Jects, the latter then being exploited by an English corporation His sport on the Elephant Butte was unfavo-sable. He called attention to the necessity for a much larger reservoir and 10 a feasi- ble site near Engle. New Mexico.
 Shortly after making, this report th,, national Irrigation law vas passed and the reclamation service organized Chief knSi1esr Newell ordered a survey Of the Engle site under Engineer J. X French Upon the completion Of the surveys t,ce data ob-ained were given to Supervising Engines- R. NJ Hall. who has just completed the plans of structure and a careful study of the water supply.
 MT. Halls work this season has dem onstlated the entire practicsbili-v oF the Ensle site, and has resulted in the citizens of the valley bu-ying the hatohet and uniting as one man in ap- proving the project The big congress nall at Fl PasO was packed to over flowing to hear MT. Newell and Ns. Hall explain the plan in detail
 INTERNATIONAL DAM coMnts-
 SION
 The international commission s-e.s. posed of |. S. army engineers aRz Mexican engineers appointed bv -Raa government in it's report recOmzaeuCkea that the United States should buy aR necessary lard, pay all damages and at American expense the in -eTnationai dam at the pass about miles above Fl PasO; submerge s5.5s5 acres of good land in the United States. extend the Mexican boundary up stream to the dam ste. cedins Mex co SS acres additional territory in or Ter uhat one end of the dam might b.. )n MeXi-an soil; deed One-half Of ths. lam, the reservoir, and the water sun ply to the republic of Mexico forever. md prohibit the construction of any arge reservoir on the Rio Grande in New Mexico.
 1he alternative plan suggested by he U- $. reclamation service is 10 build , storage dam opposite En-le. New
 Continued on Page 3.