Imperial Valley press., 1927-02-18
CAMPAIGN
RESENTED
IN VALLEY
Times Propaganda Does
Much Injury Here By
Distorting Facts.
NO FLOOD DANGER
Many Sending kilograms
to Washington IgnOr-
ant of Conditions Here

Citizens in all parts Of Ell Centre
today were considerably aroused by
the campaign being conducted in
Los Angeles, and sponsored by the
Los Angeles Times, leading many
persons on the coast to believe that
Imperial Valley is in imminent dan
ger of destruction from the flood
waters of the Colorado river.
Starting with a campaign to OBJ
tain from congress an emergency APP
preparation to protect Imperial Val
ley from any danger that might
arise from swollen river next
summer, the Times has succeeded in
deluding many persons, even strong
supporters of the Swing johnson
bill that they are aiding the valley
by sending kilograms to Washing
ton, urging the emergency appro-
priation.
AS a matter of truth, these very
people who believe they arc aiding
the valley, are being used to injure
this community The recent heavy
storm has played into the hands of
the Times, which is using it to con
vince businessmen and civic organ
iZations in and about Los Angeles
that a READ crisis exists here.
This Notwithstanding the fact
that Imperial Valley is the only
place i'll Southern California that
escaped the ravages of the storm,
and the Times itself carried figures
showing that the rainfall here was
less than in any other section of the
state, amounting to less than one
half inch.
Today's issue of the Times car
ries a story dated from Calexico, ts
the effect that Il $4,000 foot flood
is due at the heading and that
emergency levees are being con
structed to take care of it. AS a
matter of fact the $4,000 foot flood
has arrived. 1t measured that at
Yuma this morning. And $4,000 is
LOW figure for the levees of the
Imperial Irrigation District to han
die. In the past the discharge has
measured as high as 100000 and
$4,000 second feet, which is not an
abnormal figure i'll flood season.
Ignorant of Conditions
Many of the firms and business
men who have been induced by the
Times to send kilograms to Wash
ington, know absolutely nothing of
the present condition, nor about I'M
perial Valley. They do not know
where the water is brought into the
valley, how near or how far the Col
orado is from the valley, nor many
other pertinent facts. Undoubtedly
many of them picture the valley to
be in danger of another Johnston
flood, exposed to the mercy of a
huge dam whose bursting will de-
stroy the country, snuffing out the
lives of its inhabitants. They do
not know that when the river did
get in here in l9O6-07 it was slow
process requiring months and
months for it to reach the northern
end of the valley.
Nor do these deluded persons
know that the owners of the Times
are also owners of large areas in
Mexico, which would be chiefly
benefited by an emergency appro'
priation, and that the present cry
for an appropriation is simply a
means for defeating or delaying the
SwingJohnson bill.
Steps are being taken today by
the chamber of commerce and other
organizations to counteract the pro-
paganda which the Times is pub
fishing. This propaganda is deadly
to Imperial Valley interests and is
causing considerable harm to this
community, more harm in fact than
flood waters in the Colorado would
cause.