The Winslow mail., 1923-11-09
COLORADO RIVER COMPACT
ANALYzED BY Sen. WINSOR
Continued from page One)

parched and proftless desert lying
along the Colorado's course, that are
susceptible of practical reclamation
from that stream, into areas of fer
tility and productivity. Perhap
timately of less consequence and
importance, but infinitely more ur-
! gent, more imperative, it will mean
the saving from destruction by foods
of more than hundred million dol
lars worth of American property and
thousands Of American homes, to say
nothing of the annual loss of hun
dred million dollars of food-stuffs
and raw materials. This is a phase
of river development concerning
which / am competent to speak at
first hand, for l live under the men
ace of the rivers floods. | know how
real and terrible they are. l know
what the harvest will be when the
tragedy comes-a tragedy which is
| inevitable if the river be not control
| led But far more spectacular than
any other is that view Of river devel
epment which reveals five million
| tireless horses. vibrant with electric
energy, harnessed and trained, toll
ing by day and by night bringing
wealth into the world and prosperity
| into the home-breathing life into
| the industries of labor and of capital
| and giving impetus to the forward
march of civilization.
| A very small part of the power of
the Grand Canyon of the Colorado
will form the basis of growth for
Arizona beyond the pretentions of
optimism. In the interior and favor
ed valleys it will lift water out of
the ground and cause fields and
orchards and ineyards-hundreds of
thousands of acres of them-to
spring up, to supplement if not to
exceed the areas reclaimed by direct
diversion. Out of the air it will draw
at low cost the huge stores of nitro
gen so necessary to agricultural pro-
ductivity and important throughout
the wide range of chemistry. 1t will
I insure lessened costs for the prOduc-
| tion of the mineral wealth locked in
| ten thousand hills and make prac-
tical the opening of many OF these
stores houses of Nature. 1t will
| stimulate and encourage the search
| for oil. 1t will render feasible the
rearing of manufactures for the con-
version of Arizona raw products, of
| Eerd and field, mine and forest, into
| finished articles, in part at least for
| the Use al home, thus lowering the
cost OF iving an supplying materials
| for future growth. It will cause
towns to multiply, cities to expand,
markets for Arizona products to en-
large. Transportation enterprises thus
fed will span the State and poin its far
ther quarters with electrified ribbons
/ of steel. Wealth will be created and
wealth will be attracted, as like ever
serves as a magnate to ike. The
eyes of the East and the West, the
North and the South, will be turned
Arizonaward, and her beckoning
hand, suggestive of opportunity, will
persuade men of means, of strength
and of science. Populations will multi
ply Prosperity will reign. Arizona
will come into her own.
Now let us look with just a little
more particularly into the question
of why a treaty is necessary to this
magical transformation. Why have
l declared that without an amicable
understanding between the interested
parties--the States of the basin and
| the Federal GOvernment-syst
comprehensive development of the
Colorado's resources and realization
of that rivers potentialities, may be
classed as a dream of future ages?
Why may not Arizona, as some sug-
gest, without asking leave Of any,
without understanding or agreement,
herself enter upon this great work?
Well, the answer is a simple one and
easily understood. Laying aside the
altogether debatable Question-al-
though the time to debate it has not
arrived-as to Arizona's financial en-
| gineering and business capacity for
an undertaking of such gigantic pro-
portions, involving the expenditure of
hundreds of millions, perhaps billions
of dollars, for all any one knows to
the contrary-a question which still
may be and properly should be decid-
ed after the way has been cleared by
ratification of the Compact-still a
| treaty is necessary, for the simple
reason that the Colorao does not be-
long to Arizona 1t does not belong
to any one State. 1t is an interstate
stream. Despite the circumstance
that it crosses AriZona's northwestern
corner and traverses our western
border, it is a wholly baseless and
untenable theory which holds that
AriZOna's rights are exclusive. Be
Sues the lower UdSlu OldlSS VI All
zona, California and Nevada, the up
per basin States of Wyoming, Colo
RADIO, Utah and New Mexico have in
terests in the river. They have moral
equitable and legal rights of which
they are Jealous, even as Arizona.
The States of Wyoming, Colorado and
Utah particularly feel the necessity
for an agreement declaratory and
protective of their rights, if there is
to be development in the lower basin.
Their mountains shed eighty-f1ve per
cent of the rivers flow, and they re
quire a fair proportion of that flow
for the ultimate reclamation of their
arid lands. Before development oc-
ours in the lower basin by means Of
which prior right to the rivers wat
ers might be established and perfect
ed they want to know that their le-
gitimate opportunities for agricultural
growth are not going to be destroyed
thereby. Their concern is a natural
ono fhair frankly oYnrpCGp6 in