Arizona sentinel., 1918-01-03

IT anyone ever naQ any QOuDlS as to the loyalty of the government off cials, and particularly the Reciama- tion Commission headed by Director Davis and Chief Counsel King, to Yu- ma Project that doubt should at once be dispelled after reading Director Da- vis' letter to the editor of the Arizona Sentinel, herewith appended, together with the proposed contract with I'm perial Valley irrigation district The two documents are given in their en- tirety in order that citizens of Yuma Project may know exactly where our officials stand, as we'll as to clear up the atmosphere relative to the much talked of contract, which was at first heralded abroad by Imperial Valley as a quick and adequate solution of the water shortage problem" of that ir- rigation suburb of Yuma Project.
 From Director Davis letter it vii be seen that absolutely nothing was accomplished. The question now rests where it has been for years past. Nc step has been taken looking towards supplying Imperial Valley with water during the coming low-Water period; nothing is said in the proposed con- tract about another diversion dam at Hanlon heading. In fact Imperial Val ley is left "up in the air" so far as this coming year is concerned, and un- less we have a full river" all the year Imperial Valley is bound to suffer even more than in the preceding year unless the new intake" will supply the required amount of water That this is not expected is plainly evidenc- ed by the fact that such ranchers as Mark Rose are throwing up the sponge, for he has recently sold al his stock here in Yuma at public que tion and rented his place, with the public statement that he was going to get out of the farming business be cause he could see no chance to ge; water during the year 1918. However here are the two documents referred to above. Read them carefully:
 DEPARTMENT. OF THE INTERIOR United States Reclamation Service
 Washington, D. C., Dec. 21, 1917 Col Benjamin F. Fly,
 Yuma, Arizona.
 My Dear Colonel: I have receIved srom you the following telegram:
 Many conflicting press reports
 relative to conference with Im-
 perial delegation Yuma Project
 uneasy and anxious for facts. Can
 you wire for publication condi-
 tions of reported agreement or
 clear statement of what was done
 at your meetings. People here
 will greatly appreciate any infor
 nation you can give
 ; The telegram arrived while mat ters were still in a chaotic state anc altho the conference has now broken up and the California people have gonf home, the condition has not much i'm proved. The committee had it's con ference with Secretary Lane on the 11th and he referred the matter to Mir. Bradley with whom several con eerences were held and all phases of the subject discussed
 In a conference with Secretary Lane I brought up matters that thought might be disputed and advo cated the inclusion of a clause con ceding the prior right to 1700 second feet to the Yuma Project. The Calf aornia people made no objection at the conference and I understood Secre tary Lane to sustain my views. Wher it came to drawing up the cOntrac; thy said they did not understand 1t that way and strenuously objected to acknowledging any priority. This held us at d uedulOCh lOl oONOA oi NCNJ Ss H~' declined to yield or to omit the sub feet from the contract. They claimed Secretary Lane had not decided the question and I invited them to submit it to him with my recommendation but they finally decided not to do so evidently conceding the claim that he had already made up his mind and de cided the question.
 At any rate, the contract as drawn contains a strong clause in this con nection and reservation of power. The contract, however, has not been ap proved by the secretary of the inter for though it is understood to be in accordance with his wishes. I under stand t.-e committee does not expect