The Thibodaux sentinel. (Thibodaux, La.) 1905-1912, 1912-08-03
limited STATES WILL
BUY DISPUTED LAND
REACHED REGARD
ING THE cHAMIZAL TRACT.
Commissions Finally Divided Terri
tory-Heid That Award was I'M
possible Of Execution.

Washington Mexican amoas-
sador and the state department Satur-
day reached an agreement to setIe
the long-standing dispute regarding
the ownership of the Chamizal tract
of about $50 acres forming part OF
the city of Ell Paso, Texas, on the
basis of the purchase of the land from
Mexico by the United States me
tract is believed to be worth approx
mately $1,000,000.
The tract of land involved has been
for many years part Of the city OF
Ell Paso. about 5000 inhabitants max
ing their homes upon it. In 1894 Mex
leo first submitted a claim to this
tract on the basis of its separation
from Mexico by ''avulSion," or a rapid
cutting off, owing I'd change in the
channel of the Rio Grande. The
boundary commission failing to agree,
the matter was referred by the at
torney to another commission, which,
June Is, 1911, rendered an opinion
which divided the territory in dispute
between the two countries. This Opin-
ion held that the land between the
middle of the bed of the Rio Grande,
as it ran in 1852, and the middle of
the bed of the river as it existed be-
fore the flood of 1864 was In the Unit
ed States, and that Mexico had title
to the remainder.
This decision brought forth vigorous
protest from the American commits
sioner, who held that 1t would be i'm
possible to locate the channel of 1864,
and that the award was therefore i'm
possible of execution. Even the Mex
lean government recognized it was i'm
possible to carry out the decree and
agreed to finally settle the matter by
direct negotiations with the United
States. These have just terminated
successfully, and it will now remain
for the governments of the two coun
tries to ratify the agreement and for
the United States to appropriate
money to reimburse Mexico for the
territory in question.
News from Washington relative to
the settlement of the CLamizal strip
controversy in favor of the United
States was received in Ell Paso with
every evidence Of delight.
Mexico claimed the land on the
ground that the Rio Grande, which is
the international boundary, shifted
from it's course. The United States
contended that the Shift was gradual
and that transfer land left on the
American side belonged to the United
States
The matter was referred to Ca
madam judge, e. Lafleur, for arbitra-
ton and >the decision was that the
land belonged to the United States
south of the poinf. AS his decision
did not fix the boundary, and as there
was no testimony to show where the
river ran at that time, the decision
was considered mo decision" and the
two countries then took up negotiar
tons for a cash settlement on the
part of the United States, inasmuch
az the territory is on the American
side of the river and it's administration
would have been difficult for Mexico,
even if the boundary could have been
decided.
The Mexican commissioner, Senior
Beltrain y Puga, signed the award
with the Canadian commissioner and
this made it binding upon the two
countries, although the third member
of the commission, General Arson
Mills, filed a dissenting opinion. His
ground was that the commission had
no right to segregate the matter and
decided the question in part as it did.
The commission was created, he con-
tended, to settle the ownership OF the
Chamizal tract as a whole, and the
decision such as the majority gave,
he contended, decided nothing, as it
did not locate the boundary of 1854
The governments Of the two coun-
tries recognized the point raised by
General Mills, and the negotiations fer
a compromise by purchase were enter
ed into at once.