New-York tribune., 1918-03-31
X The Golden Book of Congress

take to find out where the boundary line
is between the United States and Mexico.
I was answered by one officer in this wse
"Well, the boundary keeps shifting, and
the river changes its course from enc year
to another; every year that the river
changes its course the boundary line has to
be established" If that be the case, Mr..
President we will never have a boundary
line established between the United States
and Mexico. 1t has been suggested that we
erect a barbed wire fence between the two
countries and allow that to mark the boun-
Diary line, but l suppose the river changes
often that we could not even establish
a boundary Of that kind.
am perfectly willing to give this ap-
preparation if Mexico is ready to undertake
the work.
Mr.. SHEPPARD. If the Senator will par
don me, Mexico is ready. President Car
rama has appointed commission, and l
understand the commission is now cooper
ating with commissioner, Judge Hill, of
Tennessee, at Ell Paso.
Mr.. SMOOT. Mr. President, that may
stand good for ten days or two weeks. No.
body can tell how soon Mr. Villa will be
near the border and drive every Carranza
man out Of that part of Mexico.
Mr.. THOMAS. Does not the Senator think
it would be a good idea to refer the boun-
dary line to Villa?
Mr.. SMOOT. l think we would have it
settled just as quickly by referring it to
him as to keep on appropriatng money and
appointing officers who draw salaries and do
no work.
Mr.. NORRIS. May ask the Senator
question?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does the Sem
ator from Utah yield to the Senator from
Nebraska?
Mr.. SMOOT yield.
Mr.. NORRIS. From what the Senator said
about the testimony of witnesses, I Judge
that the Rio Grande is continually shifting.
Is the Rio Grande the boundary?
Mr.. SMOOT. l believe it is the boundary
Tor the greater part of the distance.
Mr.. NORRIS. Does the channel shift in
that distance?
Mr.. SMOOT AS I am told there is but
a small portion that does not.
MIR. NORRIS. Does the government rep
resentative mean by that that when the Rio
Grande is shifted the boundary line between
the countries follows the Rio Grande to its
new course?
Mr.. SHEPPARD. That is true.
Mr.. SMOOT I think there is an agree
ment between the two countries to that
effect.
Mr. NORRIS. If that is true, will the
appropriation have q tendency to stop the
shifting of the stream?
Mr.. SMOOT Oh, no.
Mr.. NORRIS. 1t may be that it will keep
on shifting as long as appropriate, and
If we stop appropriating the river will re-
main quiet.
Mr.. THOMAS. had occasion two or
three years ago to examine the circum
stances under which the treaty was con-
cluded between this country and Mexico.
under which the commission was appointed
by which the changes of the rivers chan
mel were discussed. River floods frequently
create islands or bancos as they are called
IN MEXICO, and the principal question which
the commission has been called upon to de-
termnc or attempt to determine has been
the Jurisdiction of the one republic or the
other over these bancos. The creation IF
the bancos is an opportunity for bandits.
and OF course the border is infested with
criminals of every sort. The difficulty in
punishing them is obvious, when crimes are
committed in territory which may belong
to one of two adjoining countries, but about
which there is grave doubt if both claim
jurisdiction until the Boundary Commission
shall act.
Inc Senator is correct in his statement
that nothing has been done bv the commits.
SION Tor some time. think since the out
break of disorders in Mexico in 19lO-in
Mexico it has been practically stationary.
Mr. SMOOT. However, all tho money