The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-06-14
TO EMPLOY
HORSE THIEVES
CROW INDIANS TO RAISE ARMY
HORSES.
Plans Made for Large Breeding Ranch
on Montana Reservation-Scarci-
ty of Suitable Military Horses
Demands Such Action.

/ Washington, June l3.--To create
the best all.round type OF army horse
in the world with the aid of the
very Indians who i'm the past won for
themselves the reputation of being
the worlds most notorious horse
thieves Is the object Of plans clab-
Grated by the experts OF the United
States war department and the bu-
rcm Of Indian affairs II is a plan
warmly approved by President Roos,-
volt Secretary Garfield and Commits
siunor Lcupp. and contcmplatcs the
establishment upon the Crow Indian
reservation In Montana Of great
breeding ranch supervised by army
/ experts. but capitalized and worked
by Grows who from time immcmorlal
have been the centaurs Of the great
| plains. the horscmon par excellence
among red men And 1t is plan
that has the enthusiastic support of
the Grows themselves because il
/ harmonizcs with the traditions OF
the tribe and presents civilization in
q persuasive and attractive manner.
II is mans work that does not do
/ violence to their halfsavage ideals
and customs As the scheme prom
lses To become large factor In
solving the great problem OF making
the Indian work and become self
, supporting, 1t is warmly welcomed
by the bureau of Indian affairs. which
under Commissioner Leupp. through
the opening of reservations 10 settle.
mont, the allotment Of lands in
severalty to the Indians and the
abolition of the Old ration regime. is
rapidly advancing the day when the
long-yeXatiOus Indian question will
De simply "A matter Of historical i'm.
portance. Senator Joseph NJ. Dixon
OF Montana is the patron of the
bill, which has received the favora.
Bile consideration of the senate com.
mlttee on Indian affairs.
The hippological census OF the
world gives total of about 81 900
600 horses, and yet every year #
grows increasingly difficult for m,
United tsates army to get, even at
prohiCitive prices, the needed nun
Der OF horses OF the proper standard
to supply the remount needs Of its
skeleton military establishments. And
the same difficulty, but in a larger
and more critical proportion. presents
Itself TO the great war powers Of
Europe. The scarcity OF the stand.
ara type of army horse Is world
wide.
The problem of the army horse
for cavalry, artillery, engineers and
supply trains-when viewed under the
conditions that would arise in mod.
"rn war is a seriously vital one.
II an army moves on its stomach,
its power of effective mobility de.
pends upon the strength and endur-
ance, the stamina and staying quail
tiles of the horses TO fill the fighting
stomachs; upon the horses that bring
up the ammunition trains. that whlrl
the heavy wagons up steep hills to
commanding positions, or carry
hordes Of cavalrymen over heart
breaking roads on long, gruelng
marches. 1t is the lesson taught by
recent wars that, other things be-
ing equal, victory is question OF
horseflesh. Every great power, with
the possible exception Of Russia, Is
today confronted by the army horse,
and the service journals of Europe
voice increasing alarm at the grow
ing difficulties Of the situation. Dur
ing Great Britain's war with the Bo-
ers in South Africa the machinery
for mount and remount supply, at
home and in her colonies, collapsed
al the first test OF the war and be-
fore the conflict ended practically
every civilized country was drawn
upon TO supply the deficiency OF the
empire in horseilesh qualified for
service. In the victorious army that
crushed the life out OF the Boer re-
publican army that was 95 per cent
mounted at the time OF the surrender
horses from Siberia, the steppes Of
European Russian, Germany and
France rubbed noses and clashed
hoofs with horses from the great
plains of America. the pampas OF
the Argentine aud from Australia.