The copper era., 1911-05-05
AFFAIRS AT WASHINGTON?
Current News of the Week and Events of Importance in Which Arizona
 Fixtures.
fSpecial to Copper Era.)

(SpeCldl to copper El ld'J
 Washington, D. C., May 1.-An in teresting proposition has reached Washington in the nature of a pro- posal by MT. c. c. Cole, editor of the Gila Valley Record, to organize a troup of cavalry made up of Apache Indians. In his correspondence 10 Delegate Cameron, Mir. Cole states that at the time of the taking of the last census, the district which he enumerated embraced part ot the San Carlos Indian reservation ana that in the course of his work he made the acquaintance of a large number of Apache boys who are graduates of different Indian schools. These boys have been urging him to secure the consent of the Govern ment to allow them troup of cavalry to be recruited from their numbers. The Secretary of War, to whom the matter was suggested, has expressed the opinion that it would be neces- sary to secure an act of Congress to
 
 made up exclusively of members ot the Apache tribe, and if it is found that such is the case, MT. Cameron proposes to take the matter up with his colleagues in Congress in the hopes that he can secure favorable action. Meanwhile the Delegate is giving the matter serious attention in order to arrive at the best means of carrying out MT. Coles suggestion. Ia letter just received here, MT. Cole recites the fact that Indians are unable to obtain work on the re- servation after completing their schooling and the result is that they 20 elseweere to secure employment. Generally they end in a railroad camp where they are pad from Sl.OO to SI.5O a day and "the construction company usually gets this back from their commissary' says MT. Cole. ''The general result is that the Indian goes back to the reservation and within three months no one would ever know that he had beento school. " In support of the efforts to organize band of Apache Indians for cavalry purposes, attention has been called to similar organizations allowed to the negroes, and every one knows that the result in these instances has bee entirely successful. The negroes have been largely segregated from the whites for the reason that when entering other regiments they were made to feel their inferiority, and the three years enlistment becomes more or less d torment. This same line of re3 soning applies to the enlist ment Of Apaches, in regular organiz- ations, and the suggestion of the Arizona newspaper man to the effect that ''one troup could be tried as an experiment" seems entirely reason able and the very fact that the sug- gestion is unique in its originality, leads to the interest it has created.
 There has been unusual quiet con- corning matters of statehood for Arizona, although New Mexico is having plenty of trouble. The program defined in the House is to adhere to the Democratic plan which embodies the consideration Of the resolution by Chairman Flood ot the Territories Committee providing for a joint statehood of Arizona and New Mexico. Pending the battle which is expected to ensue, there has been a momentous Hull which some say may foreshadow a big battle in the near future.
 The General Land Office has issued a pamphlet showing l2,36l, ,8I4 acres of surveyed unappropriated and un- reserved land in the Territory of Arizona, and 29, 9,129, ,555 acres of un. screwed land of the same class mak- ing a total of II ,49l ,369 acres. Most ot the land is described as mountain us and arid, while some of it is listed os grazing land,