Imperial Valley press., 1916-02-03
Lower (Baja) California

-rstream flow and soil conditions OF
Lower California are very similar to
f those of. Southern California, and the
, state of development now existing
. there is very similar to the conditions
existing in Southern California IN
1876. when California was acquired
by the United States. These are
shown by accounts written by travel
/, ers in Lower California, particularly
by J. Ross Brown in 1868, to be
, found in his report rendered to the
secretary of the treasury of the Unit
ed States in 1868, published in the
book entitled Mineral Resources of
the United States as an appendix, at
Page $50; also in the book of Charles
Norhoff entitled "Peninsular Califor-
MA" published in 1888.
Owing to the isolation of Lower
California and its want of good gov
ernment and the uncertainty of land
titles, and having no outlet for its
products are being sparsely settled, it
remains, as it has been for ages, prac-
tically no mans land, and yet, judg-
inC by the development made in the
past go years in Southern California,
we can we'll estimate that within the
same length of time, under the same
conditions enjoyed by Southern Cali
fornia, it would contain a million in
population, and would produce annu-
ally millions of dollars in value of
products.
! The present deplorable state in
which the government of Mexico eX-
lists, makes this territory of Lower
/ California stand as menace to the
safety of our Pacific coast states, as
has recently been experienced in the
attempt of Japan to get foothold
upon the peninsula.
Upon both coasts of this peninsula,
upon the Pacific side, as well as upon
the Gulf side, are several admirable
harbors we'll situated so as to become
naval bases, offensive as well as de-
fensive to us. If this peninsula should
fall into the hands or even several of
its pcrts fall into the hands of a for
eign power, for such time as that
condition should prevail, our strength
and prestige upon the Pacific coast
would be severely threatened and men-
aced; whereas, upon the other hand,
with the peninsula ours, acquire a
valuable territory for immediate de-
ve'opmcnt, facilitate the water COM
merce that will 20 through the Pan
anna canal, control the navigation Of
the Gulf of California, both for our
offense and defense for the future.
In acuiring it our government could
get compensation from Mexico for the
great expense incurred as a result Of
the present military maneuvers on the
border line made imperative in the
past few months.
1t is not for me to suggest in de-
tail the advantages to accrue to this
nation in the acquisition Of this ter
army and the navy In the past ten
years the great development in ag-
riculture which is being made near
the mouth of the Colorado river is
but an earnest of what the future will
develop in the matter of the naviga-
tion of the Gulf of California. From
every point of view, it seems to me
that now is the rropitious time for
this government to get, by purchase
from Mexico, the Peninsula of Lower
California.
The Mexican population Of this ter
ritory is 50 small that it could with
in few years be entirely assimi-
lated if the territory belonged to US,
ana in that respect would afford no
SUCH problem of difficult as would
the acuisition by our government of
any part Of the territory Of Mexico
on the mainland. The trade relations
heretofore existing between Lower
California and Upper California, and
the fact that the better class of popu-
lation Of the present generation in
Lower California has mostly been edu-
Gated in the schools and colleges of
Upper California, Rave contributed to
make the people Of the territory ready
for the change of sovereignty. In
short, the territory in question is not
now, and never has been Of any prac-
tical value to Mexico, but on the con-
trary would have been, and would be
now of great value to our government
from every point Of view.
When acquired, this territory ought
at cnce to be annexed to the State
OF California for purpose of civil gov
ernment and ought to be divided into
A TO counties and thus be given self