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(//-'3. Senate Bills 418 - 422 incl. provide for the settlement of pending or threatened interstate controversies respeoting rivers rising in Colorado and flowing into other states, as matters of policy and comity between the states, by interstate compacts or treaties, in the BKm8 manner follawed by nations in settlement of problems concerning inver- national rivers. The pppropriation in the Rater Defense bill (S.B. 417) has been enlarged to inolude all neoessary expense ~ inoident to any interstate adjustment respeoting any of the f~ve rivers conoerning which trea~ measurements have been passed, vis. t~e Colorado, La Plata, Arkansas, South Platte and Laramie Rivers. One"Col1U11issioner" or .I\I!lbassador represents ColoradO on one or all rivers. Disputes between independent nations are settled either by trea~ or by war. It is a rule ef international law that diplomacy should be ex- hausted before resort to war. International disputes respecting rivers have always been settled as matters of polioy and by treaties. Had these disputes failed of settlement by treaties they might have arisen to the point of resort to arms. But the Tery nature of ever flowing rivers 'has faoilitated settlements by deliberate negotiation and hasty conclusions by resort to arms have been avoided. Prior to the =ion of the thirieen original states, each ha.d all the treaty powers of an independent nation. While, by the Constitution, the states .url"eftd.red oertain of their power. to the Central government they still ,retained the power of 'entering into treaties among themselves with consent of congress. While they surrendered their right to settle their interstate disputes by resort to arm., they substituted in lieu of war the right of original interstate suits before the Supreme Court. Such a suit is a substitute for war and is the last resort. /