Bisbee daily review., 1906-12-27
RIVER BREAK MUST BE
 FIXED
President Roosevelt Has Wired Hartman to Take Immedi- ate Steps and Promises Sup port of Congress.

I WASHINGTON, Dec. 26.-President Roosevelt IS exertirg his efforts to have the break in the Colorado river Tn Mexico repaired as soon as possi. ble by the California Development Co.,, which. he declares, is ultimately responsible for it. With this end in view he today telegraphed to E. H. Hartman al New York, reciting the in- ability to secure action by congress be- cause of the adjournment for the Christmas holidays. The president told Mr. Hartman that it is incumbent upon him to close the break, and that ! action should be taken without any unnecessary delay.
 Mr. Hartman replied that the South ern Pacific has no control over the California Development company, but he would authorize the Southern Pa cific officials to try to close the break. trusting congress to take action later to assist with the burden. The presi- dent promised to make recommends tions to his end.
 l President Roosevelt's decision fol- lowed a conference at White House
 in which Senator Flint of California, Charles D. Walcott. director of the ge- ologicsl survey, and Frederick H. New ell. chief engineer of the reclamation
 service. participated.
 Following is the telegram sent to
 MT. .Harimana
 "E. H. HaTTiman-Replying to yours of the 18th. reclamation service can
 not enter upon the work without au- 1 thirty Of congress and suitable con
 yentton with Mexico. Congress has
 adjourned for the holidays: Impossible to secure action at present. It is in cumbept on you to close break again. 1 Question of future permanent main tenance can then be taken up. Re clamation service engineers available 1 for consultation. This is all the aid that there is in the power of the gov ernment to render. and 1t seems to me clear the. is $ the imperative duty of lthe California Development company i to clos. this break at once. The dan gers ultimately due only 10 the action of that company in making heading com mpIeted in October, 1904, in Mexican l territory The present crisis can at
 this moment only be met by the action
 of the company, which is ultimately
 responsible for 1t, and that action
 should be taken without an hours de- lay. Through the department of state
 am endearcring to secure such ac- | ton by the Mexican government as i will enable congress in its turn to act. ! But at present congress can do noth- ing without such action by the Mexi- can government. This is matter oi l such vital importance that l wish to repeat there is not the slightest eX- cI,se for the California Development
 company waiting an hour for the ac- | ton of the government. It is their duty to meet 1t, as 1t has already i taken up with Mexico the question of providing against recurrence of the danger.-Theodore Roosevelt.
 i To this Mir Hartman responded:
 TO the President, Washington, D., C.: Replying to your telegram this date: You seems to be under the i'm nress;on that the California Develop nent company is a Southern Pacific enterprise. This is erroneous. II had 1 nothing to do with it's work or the opeujnc of the canal. We are not in' lterested in it's stock a1d in no va? ! control it We have lent 1t some money ID assist in dealing with the situation. What the Southern Pacific company has done was for the protection or the settlers as vel as of it's tracks, but we have determined to move the tracks on to higher ground anyway. However, in view of your message, am giving instructions to the Soulhcfh Pacifics officers in the West to pro j ceed at once with efforis to repair ths
 break. trusting that the government as soon as you can procure itie nsces- sary congressional legislation, Will as I Hztr 7,ari man"
 The presidents ans9scr to MT. Ear riman was as follows
 T am delighted to receive your teie- gram. Have at once directed the re clamatioa service t5 ge- into toech
 with VOL so that as soon as congress Ira.aseu,t,lea I car recommend iegis.a- tion which wiH p.ovisie against . fc-
 curepce of the al saste-, and make pro, 1 vision for the eaL; .a.re distribusicn Ei inc burden.-Tseoa ore Roosevelt.
 The president made public the ioi- lowing telegram sent to Governor lFardee Of California.
 ~Telegra.n received Am doing leyarytAiag i5 -ly power Tn mater. Bre,k is in Eexica- iS3 and we nave absolutely no power to ao a1ytnihe unti permission IS granted ny sexico.
 
 We are hurrying forwaTe ln every way the negotiations for sget per lnis. ision. Until granted cengtsss eal'no' act" president says: 1 "Mexico has behaved admirapiy ana has expressed willingness to do any thing within reason that we desire 70 do in the Colorado river break matter Of course. Mexico is not to do tne
 work. The immediate work must De
 done by Mr. Hariman's company as pointed out in my telegram to nm But we should beprepared to put oe,' Unite request before congress immeaI
 ately upon it's reassembling. To do that I must, of course, know just whal separate or joint responsibility tneI. ehouid be ss regards the couusry ano fthe California Development co'np9ny. IPlease formulate plan at the earliest possible-noment submitting 1t 10 the
 state department, so tha- Mexico can
 be fully informed.
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