Imperial Valley press., 1919-05-15
N Al. |. Ey AID
OPPORTUNITY
IN BILL FOR
RECLAMATION
Attorney Phil d. Swing Re-
ports Progress in the Ne
gOtiatiOns at the National
Capital.

The opportunity of the Imperial
Valley in obtaining relief in its wa
ter situation lies in the success of
tie Lane $100,000,G00 reclamation
appropriation bill, with the subsequent
opening of the East Side Mesa
This is the opinion of A. P. Davis,
head of the Reclamation Service, as
reported in letter received by Phil
d. Swing, attorney for the Irrigation
District, who is in Washington seek
ing government aid for the All-Amer-
lean canal project
MIR. Swings letter in full fol-
lows:
Washington, D. c., May 9, 1919
Board of Directors, Imperial 1rriga-
tion District, Ell Centre, Calif.-Gen-
tlemen: | beg leave to report that ]
left Ell Centre, Saturday, May 3, and
on Sunday at 10 a. m. was joined on
tie train at Tucson by Mr. A. P. Da
Wis of the Reclamation Service, who
travelled with me to Ell Paso. Du-
ring the twelve hours that we were
together we discussed every phase of
the Imperial Valley situation.
81 first put up to Mr.. Davis the
inquiry as to whether it was at all
possible to have the Reclamation Serv-
ice take over the Valley and construct
all necessary irrigation and protective
works, to fully safeguard the Valley
and give it a permanent and adequate
water supply, allowing the Valley to
repay the cost en- the Reclamation
Service plan. Mr. Davis was quite
positive in stating that such pro-
cedure was impossible. One reason he
gave was that the service had no
available funds, to begin such work
He expressed the belief that our
chance for relief lay in the success
of the Lane $100,000,000 appropriation
or in some similar bill. Mr.. Davis
seemed strongly impressed with the
possibilities of the East Side mesa and
stated that he had ordered soil tests
to be made at an early date in or
der to justify some of his conten-
tions.
Mr. Davis did not have much hope
of our government purchasing Lower
California, but he did believe that
an effort would be made to remedy
some cf our problems bv treaty with
Mexico, stating that the Department
was looking into this possibility.
Mr. Davis personally seems to be
quite STRONGLY in favor of the ALL
American canal, stating that the
difference in cost of construction be-
tween an American route and a
loop through Mexico was not so great
as to be very important item.
The calling of CONGRESS- at an un-
eXpectedly early date has left me a
very limited and short period of
time in which to complete nv depart
mental work and get a bill prepared
for Introduction in Congress. | am
of the opinion that bill to under
write Imperial Irrigation District
bonds in amount not to exceed $780,
100000 to construct an All-American
canal should be introduced in Congress
unless we meet too strong opposition
in the departments.
l find Washington in the throes of
the closing davs of their Liberty Loan
campaign and it will be difficult to
do any real work before the first OF
next week. The earliest date | could
secure for an appointment with Mr..
Lane was next Mondav mornin~. To-
day | had an interview with Senator
Johnson and have arranged to take
up cur questions more fully with him
later on. Respectfully.
PHIL d. SWING.