The age-herald., 1900-04-15
FAMINE AMONG THE
 NATIVES OF INDIA
Gall Attention to Condition of the
 Arizona Indians.
IRRIGATION WATERS STOLEN
Friendly and Industrial Natives Are in Destitute Condition - Starvation Stares Them in the Face
 Commands Attention

The cry of distress has gone up from famine-stricken India and the civilized world is about to reach forth a helping hand to relieve in part the misery caused through lack of rainfall America, as usual, is foremost in such work, and already many subscriptions have been started and many contributions received. Probably every religious journal in the land is receiving money from generous Americans who have been stirred to pity by the accounts of the terrible wants ex- isting in the far eastern peninsula
 Yet while those noble men and women who would assist the wretches of India are putting hand down into a pocket for the saving of those of a far distant land, they might probably with the other hand draw forth contribution or exert their influence in behalf of people in our very midst who are reduced to want and star yation, and, this, too, through the fault of the great government of the free United States.
 The Reservs tion
 On the Gila Indian Reservation at Saca- ton, Arizona, live eight thousand Pima and Papago Indians and here they are known to have lived for four hundred years, probably, however, owning the land and farming it before the white man set foot in America, their annual crops of maize and vegetables assured by the waters which they diverted from the Rio Gala. Yet today they stand robbed of their nat ural birthright and reduced to starvation through the rapacity of the white settler in draining he Gla above the reservation, and the criminality of the American na- tlOn 1n neglecting tO prOVida it's wards.
 Nor have these Indians been trouble-. some to the government. On the contrary they have always been real friends of the whites and have rendered invaluable ser vices to troops in their campaigns against the treacherous Apaches Today one thousand of the Pimas have given up their savage customs and are educated members of Christian churches. By long residence occupation and use they have prior right to the water from the Gila river wherewith they have always irri- gated their little farms. Their ap- peals strongly to every American who is preparing to assist the starving of India. We have some duties to perform at home. as well as to assist the destitute of far lands. It is the part of every citizen of this republic to his influence in the di- rection of making provision for these faithful Indians.
 Simple Justice .-
 A demand by American citizens to see simple justice done them would be no ex- pression of a sicky, spinless sentiment be- wailing treacherous and murdering bands of red men, for stated, these natives of the soil have always been friendly to the whites, their boast being that their hands have never been stained with white mems blood.
 The destitute condition of the Pimas is no new story Their poverty has been in- creasing year by year and the authorities have stood by and allowed their irrigation water taken from them The government engineer corps has pointed out the solu- tion of the problem through the construc- tion of storage reservoir on the Gila which will supply water not only for the Pimas and Papagos, but for thousands of other Indians whom the government could then move to this reservation and con- mence the process of education and agr- cultural civilization.
 For years congress has been urged to authorize the construction of this reser- voir according to the official surveys made, but yet no action has been taken. Should congress take this question up now and act on it, the relief would be immediate. for these Indians are industrious and could be at once employed on the work of con- struction. The government of India, during famine years. pr,~ ides relief work" Why should not congress in this little instance pursue a like method?
 The suffering in India touches the gen. erous Americans heart; the pitiful condi- tion of the Cuban reconcentradoes set on foot measures for their iniIneSsiate relief. Shall the condition of the Arizona Indians, brought about through American injus- tce, go unheeded. or will statesmen in congress take a rightful action?
 GUY E. MITCHELL.
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 GRAND JURORS SUED