The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1912-04-09
Explanation Given Of Status Of
Apache Prisoners Of the
War.
PROTECTION AND .C0NTR0L.
States That Plans for Freeing the
Filippinos Are Under Way
Effective 1921. ~
BY GEORGE CLINTON.


Stimson, in response to request
from Congress, has told the law-mak-
ers all about the Apache prisoners OF
war who are now on the Fort Sill,
Oklahoma, reservation. There are 257
of the prisoners and 10 of the number
are borne on the morning reports as
scouts. Thirty of the Indians are
known to have been engaged In hos
tilities against the United States or
to have committed acts of violation
against white citizens. Six of the
braves now held in check in Okla
home were on the war path with
Geronimo and surrendered with that
great chief in 1885. "
The secretary in his report gives
the names of the six Indians who
were known to have been on the war
path with Geronimo. After each name
there is an annexation to tell of the
health and the conduct Of the pris-
Oner. It might be noted that they are
all set down as being of fair report
except one whose name is Christian,
and he apparently now has had a
change of heart and is reported as
having been "very- goed--for- about q
year." -
Their Status Explained.
The Judge advocate general Of tho
army adds a memorandum to the Sec
reary of wars report. He says:
"The band of Apache Indians who
were established on the Indian reser-
walton at Fort Sill in 1894 had been
engaged for many years prior to 1885
in acts of hostility against the people
Of the United States. These acts
were terminated by their surrender
to the military authorities near Fort
Bowie, Ariz, in September, 1885.
With view to their protection they
were sent to San Antonio, Texas,
where they remained for time until
some permanent arrangement could
be made for their care and protec.
ton. They were finally located at
Fort Marion, Fla, where they re-
manned for a number of years. As
Fort Marion was, found to be an un-
suitable place they were subsequently
removed to Mount Vernon barracks,
Ala.
"As the climate at Fort Marion
and Mount Vernon barracks was
quite different from that to which
they had been accustomed In San
Antonio, Arizona and northern Mexico,
disease from which they had thereto
fore been immune crept in among
them and upon full consideration of
the situation by the secretary Of war
they were permanently established on
the Fort Sill Military reservation in
1894. .-.
"As these Indians had been engaged
In the commission Of hostile acts for
number Of years they were regard
ed, at their surrender, as occupying
the status Of prisoners Of war and
were subsisted and maintained as
such. AS the hostilities in which they
had taken part have long ceased to
exist, their temporary status as pris-
oners Of war terminated, and they
have since been regarded as a band
of dependent Indians held in custody
Of the United States and under the
special protection and control Of the
war department This status, as to
some of it's essential incidents, con.
tinues to. exist" b
The Judge advocate general in clos
ing his report recommends that the
military reservation where these In
dams are confined shall be contin-
ued and used for it's present purpose,
at least until the Apache prisoners
can be transferred eventually to some
other reservation which is suitable
and to which they may be willing to
come The government does not like
to force the Indians to change their
scene of life from place which they
like to one where they may be dis
contented.
Plans for the Filipinos.
II the Republican majority in the
senate and the president shall agree
to it. the Filipinos may get complete
Independence on April 4, 1921, for
such is the program Of the Democrat
ic house. The Democrats in congress
have shown from the time that We
took the Philippine islands that they
think the Little Brown Brother will
be fitted for the task of governing
himself sooner than the Republicans
think that he will be. The president
Is quoted as once saying that forty
years would be required to make the
F1tplna fully capebll q taklnx care