Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-04-04

MUST uIu not hLON WIN hC was. Dc
hind him, soldierly, stiff, stalked Mac
Lean. Marshall's entrance released
the tongues. There was an interval
Of confusion on the stage. Babcock,
like restless terrier, was swapping
at the heels of the party. At last
they were all fussily seated. De la
Vega was given the place of honor.
Marshall Babcock put on his left.
MacLean on the right.
Babcock raised his staccato gavel.
hush fell on the house. His words
were clipper and sharp.
''You have left your plOwing to come
here. You are anxious to hear what
we have to say to you. You cannot
afford to be Indifferent to it. You ac-
knowledge, by yoUr presence, a de-
pendence. correlation which you
would like to deny. Irrigation means
cooperation, suffering together, strug-
Cling together, succeeding together.
You prefer the old individual way,
each man for himself. | tell you it
won't do. You belong in other coun-
tries, the countries of old-fashioned
rain. You want to hear what we have
to say to you, the company who saved
the valley, the company you are suing.
But you have also suits against Mex
leo. There is a gentleman here who
has a message from Mexico about
those suits. l have the honor, gentle
men. to introduce, Senor de Ia Vega"
Ladies'" bowed the Mexican. Gen
tlemen, Mr.. Chairman. 1t is with an
appreciation of the honor that l ac-
cepted for today the invitation of Mr..
Marshall to speak before you, to speak
to you; l must tell you first my
thought as l sat there and looked at
you, the youth, the flower of the Amer
ican people. A few years ago, we
were calling this the great Colorado
| desert; now, the world calls it the
dollhouse OF. America. This theater
is built over the bones of gold-seekers.
who dared death in this dreaded
desert to find what was buried in
| those mountains beyond. The man,
l say, who crossed this desert, took
the hazard of death. 1t was coun-
tryman of mine who piloted, fifteen
years ago, little band of men, across
the desert. Perhaps he camped on
this very spot. 1t is not impossible
1t is here, perhaps, that he got his
| inspiration. He saw wonderful ter
ritOry; he dreamed to quicken it with
| the useless waters of the Colorado.
You will all agree that it was Gull
| lpTToO Estrada who draomo5 tho droaD,
that has come true; that it was
| through him that some of your coun-
! trymen secured their privilege to re-
| claim this land. Later, when one of your
countrymen found he could not fulfill
his promise to you, the promise to de-
liver water to your ranches, he came
! to my nation and got permission to cut
| into the river on our territory. Most
gladly did Porfirio Diaz grant that
privilege. For that, today, you are
suing him. This 1 am told, is your
complaint"
His abrupt pause betrayed a con-
fused murmur of voices. De la Vegas
polite ear tried to differentiate the
phrases. There was a tumble of sound.
De la Vega looked inquiringly at Bah
cock, who waved him on.
'"It has nothing to do with the his
tory, but would like TO say in passing
that so assured were your people of
our friendly feeling toward you that
they did not wait to receive permis-
sion from Mexico to make the cut
Your people were in a hurry. Your
crops were in danger. First the lack
of water, then too, much water dam
aged your valley. A few acres"
A voice from the crowd cried out
"a few acres? Thousands of acres
Instantly others were on their feet
thousands of acres. Ruin" One man
was shouting himself apoplectic.
Babcock-s gavel sounded a SHARP
staccato on the table.
Thousands of acres" De la Vega
was unruflled. "And more than that
The valley, it must be remembered
does not stop at the line. Mexican
lands, too, have been secured by the
action, the result of the action of youl
irrigation company. 1t was mutual,
he paused, and a quaint word came tt
his need "a mutual bereavement. L
did not occur to us to accuse you Of
our troubles. Your damage suits painet
and astonished us. But they gave III
also a suggestion"
The rustling and the murmurs sud
denly ceased. prescient hush wait
ed on De la Vega. "You have been ad
vised to sue US. To sue US for givin:
you that concession. Therefore, tn,
only answer is for us to withdraw tina
,, concession! You accuse us, for Civ
ring it to you. That concession is val
liable. What else can we do? Befor
your damage suits were filed, we wer
approached by others for the sam
privilege. If you do not Withdraw
your suits, my nation sends word t
you that you may not take water iron
the Colorado river through Mexican
soil. You will not be without waite
probably long; 1 have said that cor
cession is valuable! Other arrange
ments will probably be made SO tha
the valley will be given water. l woul
like to take your answer to my govern
ment"
1t was several seconds before tn
house got its breath. The import c
the diplomats words was astoundin!
Barton got to his feet, yelling with hi
great bass voice, Betrayed" HI
shrunken finger indicated youth wit
e ''R. s." in black letters on his cola
(. ''The valley has been betrayed"
u In the balcony, the uproar was dea
ening. Around Hardin and Brando
: words were thudding like bullet
}! Reclamation Service" That's the
game" "The cOncession!' "Tht
ID won't get it" Betrayed. We are b
"a trayed."
Downstairs. Babcock's gavel rappt
m uuheard Behind the excited figu
Up welding the stick, sat Marshall, h
es unreadable, sweet smile on his fac
~ His eyes were on Babcock, who WI
Sc vainly clamoring for order. "Progra
!" that meeting"
20 HOlliSter was irving TO make hi,