Imperial Valley press., 1919-09-27
DR., EA j REPLIES

can contract should be either reform
ed or abrogated but you cannot get all
your irrigation system out of Mexico
The levees are part of the system and
they must be maintained in Mexico.
That is q fact that cannot be ignored
and ought not to be lost sight of. Co
ing farther with this reply, l would
point cut that if the mesa lands are
to be irrigated, high line canal must
be built. If the Mexican contract is
abrogated, then this canal should be
made large enough to supply all the
water the Imperial valley will need.
The survey indicates that it will be
about as cheap to build an all-Ameri-
can canal as to follow the high line
contour through Mexico and there are
advantages in building all the canal on
American soil. At the same time, 1
believe survey OF a high line canal
through Mexico should be made so
that the difference in cost could lie
estimated instead of guessed at. For
the present, there is no reason why
plans and construction should not be
based on the all-American survey.
Mexican Neral Rights.
Question 3. What is your opinion of
the Mexican land claims for water? Do
you believe they are entitled to water
from the Colorado either legally or
morally?
Answer. Before the contract under
which the Imperial District has receiv-
ed water was made, l do not think the
Mexican land had any legal or moral
claim to water from the Colorado be-
cause Mexico did not contribute any
water to the river. Under that con-
tract, certain lands have been irrigated
in Mexico in accordance with it's pro-
visions without any protest from either
the U. S. government or the people of
Imperial valley. The Imperial valley
has been developed through the opera
ton of that contract. The Mexican
lands already irrigated have, therefore
moral claim to water; whether it can
be enforced legally I am not prepared
to say, but the action of the United
States on the Rio Gi'ande indicates it
can, as the United States recognized
a similar Mexican right there. l think
all agree that this contract should
never have been made. l believe, there
fore, that notice Of it's abrogation
should be given or that rights to wa
ter for lands irrigated hereafter will
net be recognized. Anything less than
this will be harmful to this country or
bad faith with Mexico. The district
cannot continue to benefit by that con-
tract and then repudiate it entirely.
No Delay Advocated.
Question 4. Do you believe we should
delay the all-American canal plan and
first discuss treaty with Mexico for
the settlement of the question of the
lower Colorado?
Answer. No.
Agreement is Needed.
Question 5. Do you think we could
get more concessions from Mexico by
asking her to give up present advan-
tages in irrigation and flood control
rather than by the building of an all
canal thus showing we were
in earnest?
Answer. The adjustment of irriga-
ton on the two sides of the boundary
ought be matter of the government
of the United States and the govern
ment of Mexico. Both stand to win
more than they lose by having a fair
understanding and that understanding
would mean that if Mexico is to have
water for irrigation, it must pay its
fair share of the cost. If it's lands are
to be protected from overflow, it ought
to help keep up the levees and in any
event ought to give to the Imperial
valley complete freedom of access in
keeping them up. 1t ought to agree to
the abrogation of the present contract
because that is unfair. On the other
hand, the area of land in Mexico that
is to be supplied with water should be
defined and it's limits fixed. The pres
ent situation can only lead to bad
blood and it is not to be helped by any
act of bad faith on either side of the
line. If there ever was case where
honest straightforward conduct was
needed, it is needed in the settlement
Of this matter.
.. With this preliminary, believe that
the canal from Laguna Dam to con-
meet with the present Mexican canal
shoul be built as soon as possible in
order to stop the controversy over put
ting temporary dams at the head of
t he Mexican canal. This
is something that cannot go on much
longer. The canal from the Laguna