Imperial Valley press., 1945-02-15
Senators Clash
On Water Pact

On Wote
Continued From Page One)
It should like to make a personal
statement"
SHUTS HIM OFF
NO, you won't make a personal
statement" Connally shouted.
There" johnson said. You sit
there like a little boy and take
your orders from him, If you desire
it. If you don't, go on"
Downey declined to comment fur
ther.
The exchange ended when Con-
nally and Senator James M. Tun-
nell CD Delaware, started a whis-
pered conversation.
johnson interrupted Upton to
remark that you're reading and
they're talking, and 1 can't hear
YOU"
Connally and Tunnel rose and
started to leave the room.
"Hey!" said johnson. Don't &C
away!"
Connally slammed the door be-
hind him. He returned about Is
minutes later. The hearing had
continued during his absence.
Connally told reporters before
Thursdays session that he may not
attend the Interamerican confer
ence at Mexico City on February
81 if the hearings have not been
ended by then.
WASHINGTON, Feb. Is. UP)-
The proposed Mexican water treaty
is IAN absolute necessity" to Texas
users of Rio Grande river water
Texas Attorney General Grover
Sellers told the senate foreign re-
lations committee.
He discussed only the portion of
the treaty which governs the Rio
Grande. He did net mention the
portion covering the Colorado which
has drawn opposition of California
and Nevada.
Existing uses in the lower Rio
Grande valley of Texas are in i'm
mediate jeopardy because of de-
velopments in Mexico" Sellers said.
This treaty is an absolute neces-
sity with US for the protection of
what we already have
RIO GRANDE WATERS
The treaty gives Texas 100000
acre feet of Rio Grande water an
nually below Fort Quitman, Texas,
and provides for the building OF
three storage dams on the river. 1t
gives Mexico a guaranteed 1,500,-
900 acre feet of water annually
from the Colorado. Approximately
100000 acres are under cultivation
at the present time in the lower
Rio Grande Valley, Sellers said.
He said the area produces citrus
fruits and winter vegetables which
last year sold for $l25,000,000. one
ninth CT Texas fal m income
> With the ALLEGATION provided for
by the treaty, coupled with main
stream storage, not only are exist
ing uses in the United States fully
protected" Sellers said, "but there
will be permitted an expansion al
most 100 per cent in the lower Rio
Grande valley of Texas"
~xr,c- yv.---r DarwC
Sellers said the Rio Grande is. a
"torrential stream. alternating be-
tween floods and periods of drouth.
The only way to stabilize the situ-
alton, he said, is to build dams.
Since the river is the boundary,
between the United States ano
Mexico, he added, the only way tc
build the dams is by treaty.
He read a letter frcm Gov. Coke
Stevenson of Teas which concluded :
"Cei tainly, the flood waters az
fected thereby (by the treaty. need
to be harnessed, not only to prevent
the vast destruction by floods, but
that they may likewise be placed
to most valuable use by both
our country and our neighborine
republic"
Sellers said that in addition to the
local interest of Texas in the treaty
1.-The inte; national aspects must
net be overlooked.
GOOD NEIGHBORS
He declared, land particularly
the eyes of all the American re-
publics are on the treatment which
the United States is willing to ac-
cord to its neighboring sister re-
public. {.
From the standpoint Of our owr
enlightened self-intereSt, we shoulo
regard this treaty as being the
vehicle for vast postwar pre- jects
for the development of vast areas
of land, for the providing of home:
and farms for the returning vet
Grams, for the creation of wcrth'
while and profitable opportunities
for labor. That is the overall pic
ture and one which in the heat o.
debate we muct not overlook
CONNALLY AROUSED
Senator She, idan Downey, CD
California, asked Sellers why th'
treaty did not guarantee" Texas
the waters of the Rio GranCe as !
guarantees" Mexico the waters o
the Colorado. Committee Chairman
Tom Connally, Cd, Texas, inter
rupted:
We've been chewing on the Colo
rado river for three weeks now
I urge that it isn't fair to draf