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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />EXHIBIT A <br /> <br />N <br />N <br />00 <br />I-" <br /> <br />Summary of Introductory Remarks <br />Country Director Robert A. Stevenson <br />Before Committee of Fourteen, May 24, 1972 <br /> <br />After words of appreciation to Chairman Steiner for the cooperative <br /> <br />and understanding attitude of the Committee of Fourteen, Mr. Robert A. <br /> <br />Stevenson, Country Director for Mexican Affairs in the State Department, <br /> <br />reviewed in summary some of the developments on the salinity question <br /> <br />since the last meeting of the Committee in December, 1971. <br /> <br />The resumption of talks with the Government of Mexico was begun <br /> <br />informally on January 19, 1972, when Foreign Secretary Rabasa commented <br /> <br />on this subject to Mr. Stevenson in Washington. On that occasion he <br /> <br />asserted 1) that Mexico does not want to go to court, but does feel a <br /> <br />very definite legal difference exists between our countries because of <br /> <br />the fact that the last user on the United States side gets water at <br /> <br />850 ppm and the first Mexican user receives water at about 1300 ppm; <br /> <br />2) that the Treaty provides for water from the Colorado River or its <br /> <br />sources -- in the Mexican view, Wellton-Mohawk pumped drainage does not <br /> <br />fall into this category; and 3) that Mexico is not thinking of a World <br /> <br />Court solution, but rather of some more informal type of third-party <br /> <br />arbitration to find a solution. <br /> <br />The next development occurred on February 10 in Mexico City at a <br /> <br />luncheon hosted by Ambassador McBride for Foreign Secretary Rabasa and <br /> <br />Mr. Stevenson in order to discuss salinity. On this occasion the U.S. <br /> <br />officials heard an exposition of the most extreme position heretofore <br /> <br />put forth by the Mexicans. The Foreign Secretary claimed 1) that Mexican <br /> <br />users had a right to Imperial Dam water; 2) that the Colorado River belongs <br /> <br />to both countries; 3) that there are not just seven Basin State ripAri~n <br /> <br />