Arizona republican., 1907-07-21
GEN. H. (. OTIS
 ONLAGUNADAM
A Statement Regarding an
 Arizona Publication
The Times Editor Shows
 That His Interest In the
 Enterprise is ImpersOnal.

there ndS been Ottp interest in the Imperial valley of Southern California. a region very like this in productive capacity and general char This interest was inten- sified at the time when the Salton sea threatened the valley and there was deepest satisfaction expressed over the controlling of the Colorado's flow. But through the whole of the Imperial irrigation movement there has been irritation not fully under stood in Arizona. due to apparently conflicting interests that included the reclamation service and the diversion works 1t is building on the Colorado above Yuma.
 A week ago. publication was made in Arizona of an article which pur- ported to demonstrate that among the forces antAgonistic to the reclamation service were the Los Angeles Times and its proprietor. Prompt denial has been given this accusation in a letter written by General Otis to a friend in Phoenix The letter follows:
 "Los Angeles, Cal. July IS. 1907.
 Among the various clippings from Arizona newspapers which you have sent me. I find one headed. Reasons That Prompted Times Attack on Rec lamation Service-Owner Otis Had Personal AK to Grind-His Connection with Old California Development Com pany.'
 "The article is foolish. unwarranted in its assignment of motives to me. full of blunders, and wrong in its con- clusions.
 "1 I never had any connection with the old California Development company. direct or indirect. The statement made. and which is attrib- uted to a high official of the recla- nation service who. for obvious req sons. does not wish his name to be used asserts that the old California Development company turned over its affairs to the new company in very pad shape believe that to be so. but that new company is not the one with which I am connected. and we | had nothing to do with it, either before or after the turning over. The fact | is that the California Development Company. under former President He Der (now dead) was reorganiZed under ! Col. Epes Randolph. now president. al the time the Southern Pacific ad- fvanced 5000 O0e more or less. for the purpose of untangling the affairs of the original company. recognizing us
 personnel. and putting it in shape to do business on right lines. The task
 was a mighty one. as the public IS aware. and it is said that the South ern Pacific. in accomplishing the tre- mendous work of returning the run away Colorado river to its natural bed lexpended the enormous um of s2.3OO.- 900. All of this work was done with out the intervention. direct or indi- rect. of the California Mexico Land and Cattle company. which is the name of the enterprise in which l have a small interest. and whose holdings are almost entirely below the international boundary line. on the Peninsula of Lower California.
 "(2) The same reclamation officia lis credited with this statement: When these directors (the directors of the Ireorganized California; Development
 company) got to work they discovered that affairs up to that time had beer managed in a haphazard and dishon- lest manner; in fact, 1t was charged
 that funds had been irregularly ap'
 propriated' If that were so-and know the charge was made Tn th' lcourse of legal proceedings-nelther inor my associates had anything to d'
 with the matter one way or the oth' CT. because none of us were ever dl'
 rectors in either the old or the new
 eompany. and have and have had n'
 ownership in nor hand in it's manage
 ment. So much for that groundles'
 charge,
 "(3 Further reference is made b.
 the official quoted to the former ques
 ton as to whether a criminal or clvi
 action should be brought against tn
 old directors; and. amazing as 1t ma.
 appear. my name is recklessly used Il lthaf connection without shadow O
 authority. as I have shown. That be linp so how could I have barely es leaned being mixed up most unpleas antly in the criminal courtsy Tn allegation is absurd. and is the mos fervid sort of superheated air. Tn reclamation official quoted. whoeve he may be- ought to bridle his tongu or bring forward specifications so ia as concerns his undertaking to tai
 about me or my alleged actions at an
 stage of the proceedings. And he ough
 to come out of his hiding place an
 show himself.
 "(D What the Times has publish
 ed in regard to the I.aguna dam ha ] been published in good faith, wltnot Imalice. and for justifiable ends Tn enterprise is a great and costly on but it Is not above criticism; the en gineers of it, even if they be engage in the reclamation service of the g0' ernment. are not above criticism: an being a government enterprise. UT } manner in which the work has bee ! ldone is open 70 the 1ninadversicns { the intelligent engineers and oth' { critics whose conclusions we haN published. Che work is important ar ] necessary to :ha intcres-s or the va lev. and want tO see it heccme great and permanen: success IL ! located. as you are aware. far distai from the scera Of operations of nj
 lcompany, further down the course . the Rio Colorado. and across the II
 iternational boundary line. So iar
 the question m water from our lan'
 is concerned, that matter has been a.
 iusted with he government of he'