The La Jara chronicle. (La Jara, Conejos County, Colo.) 1896-19??, 1906-07-06

of the San Luis Valley.
Gentlemen:-Pu Pursuant to re-
quest of the Monte Vista mass
meeting of June 6, and by appoint
ment of your State board of Com
missioners in charge of the reser-
voir appropriation, Messrs. f. G.
Cloudy, A. V. Tabor and proceed
ed to Washington, ID. c. Mr..
Cloudy and | arrived the morning
of June 21st and found Mr.. Tabor
who had preceded us. We con-
sumed the remainder of the week
calling on. and discussing the res
ervoir question with, the heads of
various divisions in the Interior
Department, being introduced part
of the time by Congressman Brooks
and part of the time by Senator
Patterson. We We're finally given
opportunity to partially present
our case to Secretary Hitchcock,
who refused to take any action
until after the international ques-
ton was passed on by the Secre-
tary of State. We then got him
to Immediately refer and transmit
the papers. which / had filed in
the Interior. to the State Depart
ment. for action on the interna-
tional question. Mr.. Cloudy was
called back to Denver by telegram.
On June %, Senator Patterson,
Mr. Tabor and called on Attorney
General Moody where was per-
mitted to briefly outline the CON
tentions of the people of the San
Luis Valley, on the supposition
that our matters would, at some
stage, be referred to the Depart
ment of Justice for II legal opinion.
We then called on the Secretary of
State. when Senator Patterson ask
ed that / be accorded a hearing
Upon account of other pressing
matters, Secretary Root set June
% to hear me. Senator Patterson
and Mr.. Tabor left for Colorado
and | remained for the hearing.
On June 29th Congressman Brooks
and l appeared before Secretary
Root, who, after hearing both OF
us briefly, referred us to j. b.
Scott. Solicitor of the State De
partment, on the legal questions
involved. who, after hearing Mr.
Brooks briefly. allowed me a
lengthy argument on the points OF
national and international law in
volved, and finally arrived at the
conclusion that the demands of the
San Luis Valley are not in conflict
with any law.
At l 30 p. IN. of that day, Solicit
or Scott and | appeared before
Secretary Root, where he stated
his conclusions on the laws involv-
ed. and the Honorable Secretary
then heard me on the facts, and
then transmitted my papers back
to the Interior Department with
instructions to the Interior to in
vestigate and report on the facts
and rs to whether the reservoir
rights contended for by the people
of the San Luis Valley would
violate the terms of the treaty re.
Gently agreed upon by the Secre-
tary of State and the Mexican
Ambassador, relative to the build.
ing of seven million dollar reser.
voir near Engle, New Mexico, in
part for the purpose of furnishing
sixty thousand acre feet of water
TO Mexico.
| endeavored to show the Sec
rotary that what We ask cannot in
terfere with the Government
border project, and. from our inter
views with the heads of divisions
in the Interior. who will have this
investigation in charge. | am quite
sure that their present knowledge
of conditions will make very sligh
additional investigation necessary
md that n favorable report vii