Imperial Valley press., 1925-08-20
CRT77CTZES GOVERNOR HUNT

The ''blowing-up of the conference of representa-
tlves OF California Nevada and Arizona the Colo
rado river Monday prompts the Arizona Republican
(Phoen) to caustic observations about Cover
nor Hunt in lengthy editorial
''The California delegates were probably not re-
preventative of the prevailing sentiment of Southern
California but rather only of the sentiment of section
OF the state whose interests peculiar ITSELF the
Republican comments: We do not think however
that California delegation that could have been Sc
Iected would have been more successful in such hos
tile atmosphere
mo doubt some of the members of the Arizona
delegation appointed by Governor Hunt
~ desirous of arriving at solution but think that
Inere can De no doubt that part OF the delegation
understood that its business the creation of an
pasSe such suddenly reached.
"The keynote, wild war cry, was sounded by the
governor in his address in the morning session. That
created tenseness which not relaxed, notwith-
standing the assurance of some of the members of the
Arizona delegation that their hands were free From
that moment what slender hope there may have been
that an agreement might be reached abandoned
In the interest of mesavng, the conference might
well have dissolved the conclusion of the governors
statement. The governor swept away the Colorado
compact which must be the basis of any agreement
that might be reached among the states of the lower
basin.
"In fact, the governor states that he can find no
reason for compact since the matter of the appropri
alton and distribution of water governed by existing
laws and supreme court decisions. Then these same
laws and decisions would render useless any agreement
between the states.
"The Arizona conferees, of course were not bound
by the extraordinary views of the governor and
men, they were not likely to entertain the notions of
the governor. Any agreement that they might have
reached with the delegations from the other states
would have been approved rejected by the people or
legislature.
Just what the governor was driving at in his ad-
dress is quite ncomprehensibe We think that he HIM
self does not clearly comprehend it. It was disord
erly rehash of much that evolved by the
Colorado river mentor in the earlier days of the dis
cussion; and much that later grew out of discussion
among the high liners; and legal opinions by Tom,
Dick and Harry concerning the legal rights of Arizona
Naturally the governor is left in an atmosphere
of confusion but he speaks understandngy of himself
when he says:
''You ask about Arizona? 1 say to you gentlemen,
frankly, that at this time all that ask for if the
economics laws are to be set aside and treaty nego
ated Is that Arizona receive protection of her rights
including her future development. If you ask me spe
officially what we want, reply you frankly without
any apology that We do not know because we have
not sufficient data available to determine what it is
practicable to develop
So the governor does not know and knows that he
does not know. But for thing we would regard
the governors frank acknowledgement of his ignor-
ance of the subject hopeful sign. When one ad-
mits his ignorance ordinarily he is the first rung
of the ladder of information with determination to
ascend"