Imperial Valley press., 1919-11-24
CAPITA PAPER
BACKS A.A. CANAL
WITH EDITORIAL

The Washington Times, one of the
most influential newspapers in Wash
ln2ton, IN its issue of November 1S,
IN two-column editorial, came out
solidly back Of the proposed all-Amer-
lean canal.
The canal was headed "Anythng
That Mexico Controls Is Not All
American" and sub-head: "This Is
One of the Best Reasons Why Con-
gress Should Pass the Kettner Bill
Asked for by Californians"
The editorial in full follows:
Much is written and talked in which
the expression "All-American' has a
prominent place.
To no part of the country does this
slogan mean more, however, than to
the residents OF that part of California
known as the Imperial valley, from
which was shipped last year farm pro-
ducts worth more than $40,O00,O0O.
This territory is one of those great
tracts which before the application of
irrigation was desolate waste where
a horned toad would slowly starve to
death.
It's 100000 acres is now the home
of more than 10000 people, whose
welfare and prosperity is one of the
of science to nature.
But, strangely enough, all this
wealth and all this happiness rests on
no stronger foundation than the
continued good will and uninterrupt-
ed friendliness of a foreign people.
The people of Mexico, if they chose,
or if in case of international disagree
ment it was thought desirable, could
in single day wipe out the great in
vestments in the Imperial valley and
return it to it's former desolate and
waterless condition.
1t is for this reason that the people
OF that country have asked Tie gov
ernment, through the Kettner ill, for
national legislation which will make
possible the building of an all-Amer-
lean canal that will remove the well
fare of Imperial valley from the power
of harm at MeXico's caprice or whim.
You will see, therefore, why "all-
American" has a particular signif-
cance to the people of California.
The wonders of irrigation are too
little appreciated by the people of
IIlC EdSI. lHS SiSetiiIN tSNAoiioeioi
projects that have been fostered by
the citizens of the West have turned
unnumbered acres of sun-baked, arid
deserts into fertile fields and great
sources of supply
Before the Imperial valley was irri-
gated, there was not single dollars
worth of food grown on its hundreds
of thousands of acres. The diversion
of the waters of the Colorado river
turned it into garden.
But, like all plans of this sort, and
especially when they are conducted by
"private interests" and not by the
government, as they should be, this
reclamation of American lands was
Joined up with plan to profit the
owners of land across the border in
Mexico. and, in order that the project
should be outside the control of Cali
fornia laws, there was juggling OF
finances and charters which put the
money control in the stockholders of
a Mexican corporation and the physi-
cal control of the water itself on the
Mexican side of the border.
The money expended came from the
rockets of American residents. The
benefits to the extent of more than so
per cent are enjoyed by holders of
foreign property.
The building of an all-American
canal will establish the money control
and the water control where it should
be-on the American side of the