Imperial Valley press., 1944-08-16
MAKING pLAYTHlNG OUT
OF 80 MILLION INVESTMENT

VI ~ mlLkfSN INV LStVINs
Either through Grass ignorance or a
willful desire to ignore the rights Of I'M
perial Valley citizens, Secretary Hull in
recent declarations of intentions regard
ing the providing of water for MeXlcall
valley, amazes even his staunch followers.
For the secretary of state to ignore and
to flout a contract between the nation
and its citizens seems impossible, yet no
other conclusion can be reached after re-
cent statements embodied in letter H.
sulting as il is challenging.
His attitude on the recent release of
water through the All-American canal,
only emphasizes the high-handed methods
he used in negotiating the treaty, yet to
be ratified by the senate, giving away
water that belongs to the basin states.
The only excuse that can be conlured for
him in regard to the treaty is that he was
carried away with his good neighbor plan,
now CREASED and primed by the lend
lease act.
AS the people learn more of the viola
ton of the rights of Americans in this
treaty. the less they think of the good
neighbor policy, commendable as 1t Is IN
its conception. There was time when
a treaty similar to the one the secretary
is trying to force through the senate was
called IN plaln IeTllS, sledl'
The recent expose of the secretarys ig-
norance and his evident intention to run
rough shod over the rights OF the people
of this Valley was set out in his edlct TO
Chairman Hewes of the district to the
effect that the district has no right or
legal authority to deal with its Mexican
customers for the water that saved part
of the cotton and corn crops in the lower
valley areas His words left no doubt
that he had no intention of respecting the
districts contract. But his letter totally
misrepresented the whole situation He
set out that the secretary of states office
ordered the interior department, through
the reclamation bureau, to release the
water through the All-American facilities
only after the district refused to comply
with request to construct Weir IN the
Colorado to raise the water level so it
would drain to the Mexican canal and
irrigate the drouth-famished fields below
the border.
The simple facts are; the district had
engulfed both departments with appeals
to be permitted to divert the water, show
ing that the whole desperate situation
with the Mexico farmers could be allie
waited within ten days after such author
ity had been issued. Next, Secretary
Hull lust can't be excused for not know
ing that the district has been enloined by
the Yuma Water Users for years from
doing the very thing Hull so blatantly
charges that the district refused to do.
This I'M JUNCTION was granted by superior
court and T. S. agency was party to the
suit. If a high government official-a cab
met officer-can be so ignorant of mat
ter SO pertinent to an issue as great as
the Colorado river water, then is 1t any
wonder people are losing confidence IN
his whole policy?
When a cabinet member Intentionally
"plays with an institution of the scope OF
the Imperial Irrigation District it is
time to quit quibbling and demand his re
moval. He is toying with the lives and
future of $4,000 people who depend upon
the success of their venture to make their
living The people of the valley are bond
ed to pay for the canal and its operation
and it will not cost the government one
red cent in the end-that is, if the gov
ernment ever fulfills its contract and fin
ishes the project so the district can begin
to discharge its obligations.
A few days ago the Mexican company
operating the water facilities sent the
District a check approximating S25,OOO
in payment for water delivered In the
late emergency. This amount was de-
posted in the United States contract
fund created by the District Board IN
compliance with the provisions of the