Imperial Valley press., 1945-04-22
MEXICAN WATER
TREATY RATIFIED

Only ten senators voted against ratifi-
cation of the administration water
treaty with Mexico. Seventy-siX were
favorable, making a decided majority
over the required two-thirds vote of sena-
tors present. Ten senators did not vote.
Only one "far eastern" senator registered
his vote against ratification, Senator
Chandler of Kentucky An Oklahoma
member, Senator Moore and NebraSka's
Wherry, against the pact were the only
near westerners in the mo" column, while
only four from the Colorado river basin
states We're pitted against it-Downey,
Hiram Johnson, McCarran., Nevada and
Wheeler, Montana.
While all the senators from the eleven
western states would have lacked one
vote of making the necessary number to
defeat the treaty, providing all 96 voted,
ratification can not be charged to an un-
sympathetic east. AS the vote shows,
California alone cast both votes in the
negative. The rest of the basin states
senators voted as they had talked-for
the pact.
Time will tell whether judgement and
wisdom were used in drafting and ratify-
ing the treaty. That is, providing Mex
leo follows the u. S. action and ratifies
lnasmuch as one important factor was
left vague and unsettled, there already
is opposition developing against ratifica-
ton in Mexico The treaty does not
specify what type of water shal be de-
lvered below the border.
Taking the lead in the Mexico opposi-
tion is the Monterrey bar association.
These attorneys set out that there are
sections of the treaty inimical to the in
terests Of both nations. Just what these
sections are the group has declined to
make public 1t would appear that they
have found something in the wording
that the sponsors and hackers of the
treaty on this side of the line overlooked
inasmuch as no one will contend that
Mexico got the worst of the bargain by
any means.
Full extent and import Of some reser-
vations tackled on while the treaty was
under dabate are not clearly defined.
Imperial Valley especially stands to
lose in the event the commission, in in
terpreting and implementing the treaty
chooses to beggar the United States at
any time to fulfill the obligations the
treaty sets out in favor of Mexico.
Senator Downey, who led the floor
fight against ratification believes the
treaty was improved by reservations but
in casting his vote announced he still saw
three serious faults, namely:
l. Failure in computing the 100000
acre feet of Colorado river water allotted
annually to Mexico, the underground
seepage from the river now available to
her.
g. Lack of provision for dam between
phoenix and Yuma. Arizona, to protect
the proposed more southerly division
dam from flash floods on the Gila river.
3. The unanswered question of whether
or not Mexico is compelled to accept
water regardless of its salinity content.
One thing the nistration-conceived
treaty can not regulate is the source of
funds to carry out its mandates. 1t is
up to the lower house Of congress to make
such appropriations, and therein lies one
safeguard that may be indeed fortunate.
If such treaty was necessary to carry
out the spirit and the letter of the good
neighbor policy, then there has been a
momentous contribution to that cause
CURRENT QUOTATIONS