SUPPLEMENTAL TESTIMONY BY GENERAL MILLS. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, INTERNATIONAL (WATER) BOUNDARY COMMISSION, Hon. J. P. HEATWOLE, UNITED STATES AND MEXICO, Washington, D. C., February 21, 1901. Chairman of the Subcommittee, House of Representatives, Foreign Affairs Committee. SIR: I return you herewith the report of myself and Mr. Follett on the international dam and reservoir in the Rio Grande, which you loaned to Mr. McGowan, and which he has just now returned to me, for file with the other papers which you have under consideration. Regarding the question raised by Mr. McGowan, that this report was neither a legislative or executive document, not bearing any imprint to that effect, I beg to call your attention to House Resolution No. 164, Fifty-fourth Congress, first session, submitted by Mr. Hitt, authorizing the printing of 500 copies of the same. I think a great portion of these 500 copies were delivered to the House Committee on Arid Lands, as on several occasions I secured copies from Mr. Cooper, of Texas, then a member of that committee, from his committee room. Regarding the allegation of Mr. McGowan that the bill makes no reference to this document, but only to Document No. 229, and that no plans and specifications appear in said Document 229, I beg to call your attention to the following words in the report of the joint engineers, on page 44 of said document (No. 229), under the head of "Location of the site of the dam: We understand the dam referred to above to be the dam described in a report made by Col. Anson Mills to the Geological Survey in 1889." It would appear, therefore, clear enough that the bill has reference to this report of myself and Mr. Follett, and I request that it be printed with the other proceedings of your committee in regard to this bill, as well as resolution No. 164, authorizing the printing of the same, which is pasted on the front of the report. I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, ANSON MILLS, Brigadier-General, U. S. Army, retired, Commissioner, having in charge the investigation for the equitable distribution of the waters of the Rio Grande. [H. Res. No. 164, Fifty-fourth Congress, first session.] Resolved, That there be printed at the earliest day practicable five hundred copies, in separate form, with paper covers, of the report of Major Anson Mills, United States Army, dated October tenth, eight een hundred and eighty-nine, to the Director of the Geological Survey, on the subject of his investigations and surveys for an international dam and reservoir on the Rio Grande del Norte, for the purpose of controlling the flood waters of said river and preserving the boundary between the United States and Mexico, with the five appendixes, A, B, C, D, and E, attached thereto, using the same plates for diagrams and maps that were used in the printing of the annuals of the Geological Survey, Eleventh, Part Second, pages fifty-four and fiftysix, and Thirteenth, Part Third, page four hundred and ten. REPORTS ON THE INVESTIGATIONS AND SURVEY FOR AN INTER- [By Anson Mills, Major, Tenth Cavalry, supervising engineer Geological Survey, and W. W. Follett, civil engineer.] FORT BLISS, TEX., October 10, 1889. SIR: I have the honor to submit herewith a report of my investigations in connection with the United States Geological Survey. My relations with that part of the Government service, which are rather anomalous, came about in the following manner: While on leave of absence here last fall I submitted to the city council of El Paso a grand project for a dam and reservoir in the Rio Grande above this place. Later on, while in Washington, I presented the same to the Director of the Geological Survey, Major Powell, who gave me such kindly encouragement that on the 10th of December, at the request of the then Secretary of State, Mr. Bayard, I wrote and he had printed a detailed explanation of my project, which is inclosed herewith, marked Appendix A. In April, at the instance of Major Powell, I received the following order from the War Department: 6. With the approval of the Secretary of War, Maj. Anson Mills, Tenth Cavalry, will report for temporary duty to the commanding officer, Fort Bliss, Tex. In addition to his military duties at that post he is authorized to extend his services in every proper way when they may be requested to the officers of the Interior Department in charge of the Geological Survey on that part of the Rio Grande 60 miles north and 60 miles south of El Paso, Tex., this survey having for its object the redemption of areas of irrigable lands in the Rio Grande Valley. The travel enjoined is necessary for the public service. On reporting to the Director of the Geological Survey I received verbal instructions from him to make all reasonable investigations that would tend to develop the feasibility of my project and the following written instructions: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Washington, D. C., April 19, 1889. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 15th instant, transmitting a copy of Special Orders, No. 85, current series, from the commanding general of the Army, authorizing you to extend your services in every proper way when they may be requested by the officers of the Interior Department in charge of the Geological Survey and its action with reference to improvements of the Rio Grande River near El Paso. In reply thereto I hereby request that you will act as the advisory agent of this bureau in respect to matters connected with improvements of the Rio Grande River, near El Paso, and relation to the use of its waters for purposes of irrigation. You are requested to keep this bureau informed of all projects looking to such purposes, and to communicate to it your opinions and advise thereon. In view of the fact that any works affecting the flow of the Rio Grande River must be matters of equal solicitude to the people of the United States and of Mexico and to their respective Governments, you are especially requested to acquaint yourself, so far as may be, with the views of the Mexican officials and people in relation to such matters, maintaining in your intercourse with them a most friendly attitude, and representing to them a sincere and earnest desire of this office to treat all matters relating to the use of the waters of the Rio Grande for purposes of irrigation with a due regard for their rights. It is the purpose of this bureau to establish at El Paso a station for gauging the annual flow of the river, for measuring the evaporation, and for other purposes, and I should be pleased if you would exercise a supervision over this work of the employees, who will be instructed to report to you, and I further request that you will assist them in securing facilities for their work. Very respectfully, sir, Maj. ANSON MILLS, Tenth Cavalry, U. S. A., Worcester, Mass. J. W. POWELL, Director. I arrived here May 4, and in company with the Mexican consul, Mr. Escobar, crossed the river and presented these instructions to Mr. Garfias, Federal engineer; Colonel Candano, jefe politico of the Canton del Bravo, and other local officials, to whom I explained in detail the projected enterprise, which they one and all received in the most encouraging manner, giving me permission to establish one end of my cable for the gauging station on Mexican soil and proffering to assist me in any reasonable manner. I then invited Mr. Garfias, the engineer, to cooperate with me to any extent he might see proper by accompanying me in my investigations, surveys, and measurements, to the end that his Government might have official knowledge of all preliminary work in the matter from the beginning. After receiving the necessary authority from the minister of public works in the City of Mexico, he has kept himself advised concerning all our investigations to this date, and I purpose furnishing him with a copy of all maps and reports relating thereto, with a view to inducing the Mexican Congress (now in session) before their adjournment in January, to pass a joint resolution authorizing their President to join the United States in the construction of the dam proper, and appropriating $150,000 for that purpose should our Government make a like appropriation; this for the purpose of gaining a year's time in the commencement of the work. |