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Show THE WESTERN WEB 53 and determine it in Congress . . . as we would a year, two years, or five years from now?" Warne: "Well, certainly we advocate the settlement of this issue (the Arizona-California conflict). If Con- gress is to settle it, it might just as well do it now as five years from now." McFarland appeared somewhat more satisfied, but his feeling was short-lived. "Mr. Warne," asked Senator Downey, 9 "has it not been the position of the Interior Department and the Bureau of Reclamation that the dispute between Arizona and California as to their respective rights in the Colo- rado River could never be fairly or conclusively settled except in the Supreme Court of the United States?" "Mr. Chairman," McFarland said angrily, "I do not think that is a fair question." "That is a question that calls for only a yes or no answer," said Downey. "No, I do not think so," Warne told Downey. "I do not think our department has taken the position it had to go to the Supreme Court for an equitable settlement. We are cognizant of the fact that it has not been settled; that the two states are still in disagreement." McFarland had made it clear that Arizona wanted the controversy settled by Congress, and Downey's question had brought out that the Reclamation Bureau was willing to have a settlement reached in the same manner, and had not advocated a settlement in the Supreme Court. The significance of the matter would soon be demonstrated. On that note the first day's hearing ended. During the final week of June 1947, and the first three |
