Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-09-18

Grafton prior to 1880, 1t continued to
be the situation down to about 1888.
Then
Entered Colonel, afterwards General
Arson Mills, member of the interna-
tional boundary commission.
What sin our country ever com
mitted that deserved the punishment
of having Arson Mills as an official
representative | ave never been able
to imagine. The ways of Providence
are sometimes past finding out, and
this would seem to be N OF the
times. Colonel Mills, boundary COM
missioner, made an investigation into
irrigation, conditions on both sides OF
tide Rio Grande near El Paso. Mind
you, up to this time the only claim
for damages was a claim-not pushed
by the United states against Mex
leo. At the end OF Colonel Mills In
v~estigation. Mexico came forward
with a claim for damages against the
United States. and Arson Mills was
the official champion Of that claim.
The alleged basis of the claim was
that the use of water for irrigation In
Colorado had SO depleted the Rio
Grande that nothing was left for
Mexico. and that the poor poems
were starving in consequence. l shall
present some evidence on that claim
later. At present, IL may suffice to
say hat no evidence exists to show
that the use of water for irrigation in
Colorado in any way affected the
Rio Grande at lei Paso. There had
been seasons Of short water before
Colorado began to irrigate. The worst
OF the shortage conceded with n pro-
longed drought extending over the
entire southwest. Colorado up to that
time was using only the low water
flow, and at low water the bed of
the Rio Grande for long stretches be-
teen Colorado and El Paso IS habit
ually dry.
Proposed That u. =. Build Dam.
Not only did Arson Mills, colonel
in the American regular army, be-
come the champion Of the Mexican
claims, but he brought forward and
pushed with all his might Il very
strange method of settling those
claims. The usual and convenient
course when one nation claims dam
ages against another is to submit the
validity and amount of the claim to
arbitration. When the arbitratOrs
make their award, the claim is set
tied in cash, n there is an end Of
the matter. No such simple n
common-sensible course was followed
here. Colonel Mills had a scheme OF
his own for settling the claim-the
newborn claim-of Mexico against
the irrigators OF the United states.
He proposed that the United states
government should build an "interna-
tional dam" across the Rio Grande
above Eel Paso. to lmpound the flood
waters of the stream, and should de-
liver to Mexico, free Of charge. water
to irrigate the Mexican lands in the
Juarez region.
IL has been charged-and so FAR as
I know the charge has never been
seriously denied-that the Mexican
lands in question had been bought
by a syndicate OF American and Ger
man capitalists. bought for a song,
in one OF the periodical %droUghts. II
has been charged. and 50 far as I
know the charge has never been de-
MED. that Arson Mills had "A direct
financial stake in pushing this in
ternational dam" scheme. such
charges are naturally hard to prove.
Took Side Of Mexico.
Colonel Mills, a United States army
officer. took the side OF Mexico
his own country. He pro-
posed an expensive and cumbersome
plan Of settling the Mexican claims:
"A plan whose sole merit was that IL
offered a splendid chance to the
Spectator in lands at FL Paso. He
backed his scheme by reams OF con-
Trajectory slush dignified By the name