The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1905-01-11
YUMA PROJECT.
The Imperial Private Enterprise must
be Eliminated to Secure the Grand
N2fiona! Development of Re-
source in the Colorado
River Valley.
From Los Angeles Post. J

LtldG Tor using TIE OclOGduO river
on the arid lands near it. This
is also the greatest proposed
work in the United States. A
moderate estimate of the popu-
lation that the Colorado valley
lands with water on them will
support is two millions and a
half. We believe that five nil
lion people is under the mark.
There are four places in the
world where great rivers fed by
melting SHOWS flow through allu-
vial valleys arid and dessert be-
cause of no rain and an intensely
hot climate.
These four places are the
valley of the Indus in India,
that of the Euphrates and Tigris
in Turkey, that of the Nile in
Egypt and that of the Colorado
river In the United States. The
use of these rivers on the adj
iacent lands by artificial means
| is now in vogue in all these
valleys. On the Colorado the
use Of the fertilizing water has
only commenced. Two Of these
valleys have supported large
populations and have been the
mainstay of many great civiliza-
tiOnS.
The Euphrates and the Nile
were feeders of many men
thousands Of years before the
Christian era, and are yet. All
four of these valleys have three
essentials of power. These are:
Rivers rising in the spring and
summer and carrying fertilizing
silt; hot, rainless climates and
broad alluvial plains.
Wherever these three con-
ditions are united, agricultural
crops must be large, certain and
profitable.
Assyria and Egypt were made
and kept great by these con-
ditions, combined with social
order.
The Colorado Valley contains
conditions that make possible a
greater development than that
of Egypt. Our people, through
the maximum of personal liberty
and it's consequence. high indi
vidual inita tive, possess a far
greater productive power than
any Of the old sociaiisms and
paternalisms of the Euphrates
and the Nile.
Our people can do more with
our Colorado Nile than the
Egyptians ever did with their
Nile.
What is needed for this grand
annexation of arid land to our
agricultural empire is an intelli-
gent and fair management of the
water treasurers of the Colorado.
The United States Government
is the only power than can do
this,
The Colorado flows through or
past four states and territory
and then into Mexico. It is
manifest that these separate
political units are not in position
to manage the whole river as it
must be managed for it's highest
use. Nor can private diversion
satisfy the economic situation
either Of the highest use of the
Colorado or secure the safety OF
the settlers and users of irfigat-
ed lands
The present situation is as fol-
lows: Competent and daring men
have brought some of the Colo
RADIO river water out on to lands
on Southern California and have
their ditch in Lower California.
These men deserve praise and
liberal recognition. A consider
able development of agriculture,
business and settlement has TAX
en- place in what was the Colo
RADIO desert in consequence of
this private enterprise.
This irrigation development
is totally inadequate for the lands
that should be served in that
section and it forms handicap |
to the large and complete use of |
the Colorado river.
The Imperial private enter
prise therefore must be eliminat-