The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-06-03


leFuatioasl dam ritht "a ~ psso and
dipite TIE waler with neSlco fres
10 a.. This brought on a great bal
tie. a. New Mexico fought 4 hard.
Delegate Pedro rerea az nfss ard
ntlefess Roast later opposed the Fl.
foits Il every turn. and prevented
tvrry resolution. act and treaty look
Ing toward me End OF takms New
Mexico's waters from her. Il was
b hard. Ions continued ana bitter
nsht. ant involved extensive arsu-
%lnents before committees Of e~onafess.
tfnclals ~ the departments Of Justice
ara state.
THE nationai reclamation act. ~
originally passed In 1909. did not IN
cIude the state OF Texas. because TINT
state contained no national. public
Hand. In the fan o. 1904. after many
battles and conferences between the
friends Of New Mexico, parties from
~ Paso and the Mexican officials At
Washington, an agreement was ar
rived az Tor The government OF the.
United states 70 build the Elephant
nutte dam at EneIe. and deliver IN
the river bed just above El Paso 50.
coo acre feet Of water annually 10
Mexico. free forever. Texas pressed
for agreement to this. and finally Il
WIS agreed to. Then a short act OF
congress wns passed under date OF
February 20. 1905. by Delegate Ro-
dew just eve days before his term
expired. extending the provisions OF,
The national reclamation act TO that
part OF Texas that could be irrigated
the Elephant Butte dam. Rodcy
had previously helped formulate the
with Mexico. so as 10 safeguard
Ntw Mexico rights TO the waters that
tell In her own catchment area.
shortly thereafter John Hay, the
then secretary Of state. died. and the
was finally entered into and
in January. 1907. when Ellhn
Root under Roosevelt was secretary
Of slate. The treaty is a short one.
Il simply provides ~ the delivery
u this water in certain quantities pet
month In the river bed above the
mouth OF the acequia OF the Mcxi-
cans; admits no obligation or any
k1nd, makes Mexico forever give VI
IN claims against this nation on &C.
OF deprivation OF water. and
seneraIiy shuts out the republic az
from ever having anything 20
say about how we shall use the wa
iers hat fall ir cur own country.
There Is o a word anywhere in the
arguments. the treaty or the act OK
the reclamation act TO Texas
r~ohibiting other dams from being
constructed above the Elephant Butte
In the Rio Grande or on its
headwaters. such a prohibition ,sl
'nly a mere regulation Of the recia-
service, afterwards promul-
but It will not prevent the
construction OF other dams. becausc
I Is fast becoming known that the
dams that exist on n stream the
permanent Is the flow. after
"A water table" in the soil has
been established. Il IL confidently
iredicted that after the Elephant
dan has once been filled, tire
itself will construct other /.
up stream from II. and proba-
'iy a mammoth one above AlbuqueF-
Iue near White Rock canyon. while
now on from Engle 10 El Paso
nd below that city will be a mid :
continent garden, the whole upper
rio Grande valley in New Mexico
fih not come TO It's own until sew T,
raj other dams have been construct d
and modern irrigation and drain
&c provided. This Is our chief in I,
crest In the Elephant Butte project .
liz e completion. 4