to be dealt with. Said commission should not be limited to engineers but should permit of the appointment of some members familiar with the legal and diplomatic issues necessarily involved. It is my thought that a commission so composed should be given a broad latitude and directed to go into every phase of the Colorado River matter in which both countries are interested, to the end that said commission may formulate a report on the whole subject, with proper recommendations, to be submitted to each country, with the hope that the two countries may then enter into a permanent agreement, along the lines laid down by said commission, for the final disposition of all international phases of the Colorado River problem. Very respectfully, WALTER L. FISHER. File No. 711.1216M/326. The Acting Secretary of State to the American Ambassador. No. 775.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, March 21, 1912. SIR: I enclose herewith copies of correspondence with the Secretary of the Interior in regard to his suggestion that negotiations be initiated with Mexico for the creation of an international commission to investigate and report as to the most desirable method of distributing and utilizing the waters of the lower Colorado River. You will take up immediately with the Mexican Government the question of appointing a commission to consider the broad questions outlined in the first two paragraphs of the letter of February 10, 1912, from the Secretary of the Interior. In this connection you will observe that in his letter of the 18th instant the Secretary of the Interior states that the commission as now organized will not suffice and could not well be made to answer the requirements of the situation. You should press the matter as rapidly as possible, reporting to the Department from time to time the progress that is making in the negotiations. I am [etc.] HUNTINGTON WILSON. File No. 711,1216M/334. The American Ambassador to the Secretary of State. No. 1379.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, Mexico, April 27, 1912. SIR: With reference to the Department's instruction No. 775 of March 21, 1912, relative to the creation of an international commission to investigate and report as to the most desirable method of distributing and utilizing the waters of the lower Colorado River, I Printed ante. have the honor to transmit herewith a copy in translation of a note on the subject received from the Mexican Foreign Office. I have [etc.] [Inclosure-Translation.] HENRY LANE WILSON. The Secretary for Foreign Affairs to the American Ambassador. Mexico, April 13, 1912. MR. AMBASSADOR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your excellency's courteous note No. 2097, dated the 1st instant, informing me of the wishes of your excellency's Government for the early creation of an international commission to take the place of the commission now in existence for the investigation of the proper method of utilizing the waters of the lower Colorado River in Mexico and the United States, and also to study important matters relating to the legal conditions of the canal that crosses Mexican territory and carries the waters that irrigate the Imperial Valley and other places in California and the continuance of the works of defense, particularly such works as are being done by the Colorado River Land Company. In reply I have the pleasure to say to your excellency that the Mexican Government abounds in similar wishes and believes, like the Government of the United States, that it is eminently necessary to make a thorough study of the points mentioned by your excellency, for which reason Mexico accepted with pleasure the appointment of the commission suggested by the Government of the United States since the beginning of the year 1908, which commission will be succeeded by the one to be created presently. In view of the above, I beg to recommend to your excellency to inform your Government that Mexico accepts the appointment of the proposed international commission, and take the liberty to suggest that for the purpose of the early action and facilities of said commission, the one now existing as the International Water Boundary Commission be permitted to remain in force with an increased and practical personnel to study and propose an arrangement of the matters pertaining to the Colorado River, increasing to that end, if necessary, the powers it now has. The Mexican Government believes that the way suggested will be favorably considered by that of your excellency, in view of the promptness and facility with which the International Boundary Commission will be able to act concerning the works on the Colorado River without disregarding the works it has charge of on the Rio Grande. I avail [etc.] PEDRO LASCURAIN. File No. 711.1216 M/343. The Secretary of State to the American Ambassador. [Telegram-Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Department is informed by the agent of the Imperial Irrigation District that application has been made within past few days to the Mexican Government for new concession covering Imperial canal system located in Mexico and it is believed that the application was made for the purpose of complicating the situation and to oppose the interests of American water-users in Imperial Valley. Impress upon the Foreign Office that this question should remain in statu quo pending negotiations of some arrangement looking to the adjustment of the whole matter. The Department strenuously urges necessity of not further complicating the matter at this time. File No. 711.1216 M/345. The American Ambassador to the Secretary of State. [Telegrams-Paraphrases.] AMERICAN EMBASSY, The Minister for Foreign Affairs heartily approves letting Colorado River question remain in statu quo pending negotiations of projected arrangement. He will urge the Minister of Fomento to refrain from taking action on alleged new concession. WILSON. File No. 711.1216 M/350. AMERICAN EMBASSY, The Minister of Fomento has informed the Foreign Office that up to May thirty-first no request for a new concession relating to the Imperial Valley canal system had been received, and if any request for a new concession should be presented the representations of the Embassy would be taken into consideration. The Foreign Office adds that in December, 1907, the President decided to defer granting any concession covering the waters of the Colorado River until a satisfactory agreement about the distribution thereof had been reached between the United States and Mexico. WILSON. Senate Doc. No. 846, 62d Cong., 2d sess. Message from the President of the United States, transmitting a letter of the Secretary of the Interior submitting an appeal of the Board of Supervisors of Imperial County, California, for further appropriations and works for protection against the flood waters of the Colorado River. [Referred to the Committee on Appropriations.] TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: I transmit herewith a letter from the Secretary of the Interior inclosing an appeal from the board of supervisors of Imperial County, California, for further appropriations of money and further works for the protection of lands and property in the United States against the flood waters of the Colorado River. In my message dated February 2, 1912, transmitting data of the work of the Interior Department, published as House Document No. 504, Sixty-second Congress, second session, there is contained a report of the engineer in charge of the work of protection done under the act of June 25, 1910, appropriating $1,000,000 for this purpose, and also a report of a special board convened by my direction to review this report and advise what further work should be done along the lower Colorado River for the protection of the interests of the United States. In this report of the special board, dated June 7, 1911, there will be found a recommendation that cer tain additional work should be at once executed, and an estimate of $1,000,000 as necessary for this work. In my message I stated that I did not at that time make a definite recommendation, for the reason that the plan to be adopted for the betterment of conditions near the mouth of the Colorado River proves to be so dependent on a free and full agreement between the Government of Mexico and the Government of the United States as to joint expenditure and joint use that it is unwise to move until we can obtain some agreement with that Government which will enable us to submit to Congress a larger plan, better adapted to the exigencies presented than the one adopted. As stated in this message, the matter was being pressed upon the attention of the Mexican Government and favorable progress has been made in the negotiations. However, it is not probable that the negotiations with Mexico can be consummated before the adjournment of Congress, and it is therefore desirable to provide against a possible emergency which may arise after Congress has adjourned. Since the report of the special board above referred to a part of the work proposed has been executed, and it is believed that the work will prove adequate for the protection of the lands in Imperial Valley against serious overflow during the present flood, which materially exceeds the average flood in volume, but as shown in the letter of the Secretary of the Interior the Colorado River since the date of the report of the special advisory board began and has continued to cave its banks, until the protecting levee on the Mexican side about 7 miles below the intake of the Imperial Canal is threatened, and apprehensions are aroused that the Colorado will again cut a deep channel into the Imperial Canal and flow again into Salton Sink with disastrous results to American lives and property. I request that the recommendation of the Secretary of the Interior be followed and that an appropriation of $1,250,000 be made to meet any emergencies that may arise for the construction of levees and revetments along the Colorado River and for the protection of property in the United States from damage by the flood waters of that river, and to be expended in whole or in part for the purposes stated and under the direction of the President of the United States. THE WHITE HOUSE, June 14, 1912. WM. H. TAFT. [Inclosure.] The Secretary of the Interior to the President. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith a copy of letter from the board of supervisors of Imperial County, Cal., relative to the securing of an appropriation in sufficient amount to safeguard the Imperial Valley from the further overflow of the lower Colorado River. Your attention is respectfully invited to your message dated February 2, 1912 (H. Doc. No. 504, 62d Cong., 2d sess.), transmitting data of the work of the Interior Department, in which will be found a detailed report of all work done prior to that date under the special appropriation of $1,000,000 made by Congress on June 25, 1910, for the protection of lands and property in the Imperial Valley, Cal., against the flood waters of the Colorado River, and also the report of the special advisory board convened by your direction, which report, dated June 7, 1911, contains a full statement of the physical and related facts concerning the lower Colorado River and its floods and the recommendations of the board as follows: We recommend that further work should be undertaken at once and in approximately the following order: (a) The levees north of Volcano Lake should be raised, strengthened, and extended. (b) The existing levees along the west bank of the Colorado River to the Abejas should be repaired and protected. For this purpose and to meet emergencies there should be immediately available the sum of at least $1,000,000. This provides only for temporary maintenance of levees and does not include the systematic revetment of the river banks. With the balance of the appropriation of $1,000,000 secured under the act of June 25, 1910, amounting to about $175,000, a part of this work (a and b) under the above recommendation has been completed since the date of your message of February 2, 1912. The levee north of Volcano Lake has been raised about 3 feet, strengthened and riprapped over a distance of about 8 miles, and the levee along the west bank of the Colorado River north of the Abejas River has been repaired and protected against scour as far as may be done without gravel or stone covering by short spurs or tapoons. There remains still to be done the raising of the Volcano Lake levee about 3 feet additional and extending it over 10 miles to a junction with the line heretofore constructed by the California Development Co., and the further strengthening and protection against scour of the levee along the west bank of the Colorado River north of the Abejas, none of which work, however, is at this time considered so urgent as to constitute an emergency. Since the report of the special advisory board, the necessity for revetting the banks has been emphasized because the Colorado River about mile 7 below the Imperial Canal intake has begun and continued caving its bank until the levee is seriously threatened, and if this caving continues there is danger that the river may make a deep connection with the Imperial Canal and again flow into Salton Sink, with disastrous results to the Imperial Valley. The situation there now is such that the river may possibly in one flood accomplish this result; on the other hand, the caving may cease and the danger be temporarily averted; but there will always be this danger as long as the Colorado River caves its banks in this vicinity, which danger can only be averted by fixing the river in its present channel by a strong revetment as recommended by the special advisory board in its report of June 7, 1911. To revet the banks on either side of the river for 10 miles of its course, wherever caving is likely to cause damage, and to complete the work on the levees above referred to, there should be a fund at the disposition of the President of at least $1,250,000, $500,000 of which is estimated as necessary for raising, riprapping, and strengthening the levees already constructed and for closing the gap between the Volcano Lake and California Development Co.'s levees, and $750,000 for revetting the banks where necessary to prevent further caving on the United States and Mexican sides. This fund should be now held and applied only so far as may be needed from time to time to meet emergencies, but to be expended in full whenever negotiations now under way with Mexico may be so far perfected as to permit the work indicated herein to be done under proper international supervision, the work being, except part of the bank revetment, in the Republic of Mexico, but for the benefit of lands and property in the United States and to a quite small extent in Mexico. Very respectfully, WALTER L. FISHER. [Subinclosure.] Board of Supervisors, Imperial County, Cal., to the Secretary of the Interior. DEAR SIR: In your communication of December 22, 1911, addressed to the President, you recommend that "at least $1,000,000 should be appropriated' by Congress "to meet the present emergencies" existing along the lower Colorado River. You are already fully aware of the serious danger confront |