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Show THE THREE-RING CIRCUS 205 "It seems to me that the course of political action in this case is plain. Are six million people going to face a water shortage so a few Arizona farmers can have irrigation water?" The White House had no comment to make on the matter, and Dr. Steelman ignored the statements of Shapiro and Haggerty. Big fights breed petty skirmishes on the sidelines. The Colorado River controversy was no exception. The automobiles of members of Congress bear special licenses. One Arizona filling station operator refused to sell gasoline to Rep. Poulson of California. T. T. Walsh, engineering superintendent of the great aqueduct which carried water from Parker Dam to the Los Angeles area, was greeted with bronx cheers when- ever he crossed the river with his wife to shop in Parker, Arizona. "Snozzle Nose Walsh!" school children screeched at him. The Colorado River is the dividing line between Ari- zona and California. Newspapers reported that fisher- men on the Colorado River carrying California licenses were arrested by Arizona game wardens if they did not also possess an Arizona license. Numerous fisherman from California were taken into custody, their gear was confiscated, and they were arraigned before a justice of the peace and fined. Objections from California authori- ties brought no results. Arizona quickly halted the unfair practice, however, when California game wardens be- gan arresting Arizona fishermen. One administration voice, however, took cognizance of the controversy. In his annual economic report for the year 1949, Secretary of Commerce Charles Sawyer said: 290 "It was estimated that as many as 15,000 |