The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-01-30
Commissioner Makes Appeal to
All Employees Of the In
dian Service.

~ Sn
uldll oeTVlCe.
-
WASHINGTON Jan. 29.-The fol
lowing letter has been sent out b.
Cato Sells, commissioner OF India
affairs:
To superintendent and other EN-
ployes OF the United States lndlal
Service:
In an address before the congress
on Indian progress held at San Fran
cisco in August OF last year SAID
1T Is u CHER duty TO pro-
tect the Indians health and TO
save him from premature DEATH
Before we educate him, before we
conserve his property. we should
save his life. II he is to be per-
petuated, we must care for the
children. We must stop the ten
dency OF the Indian to diminish
In number, and restore a condi-
ton that will insure his Increase.
Every Indian hospital bed not nee
essarily occupied with those SUI
fering from disease or injury
should be available for the mother
in childbirth. 1t is OF first i'm
portance that we begin by re-
establishing the health anu con-
stitution of Indian children. Edu-
cation and protection OF property
are highly important, but every
thing is secondary to the basic
condition which makes for the
perpetuation of the race
That thought has deepened in IT
hold upon my convictions.
Moral Progress.
We must guarantee TO the .ndlan
the first of inalienable rights tn
right to live. No race was ever ere
ated for utter extinction. The che
concern OF all ethics and all acicar'
and all philosophers is life.
The Indian has demonstrated nj
humanity and his capacity for intel
lectual and moral progress amid con
ditions not always Dropitious and ] an
eager to participate with all the favor
ing forces that contribute to his ra
cial triumph, believing as ! do tha
when he comes to himself as a rae
tor in the modern world OF achieve
ments will enrich and brighten tn
civilization OF his native land.
/ should like to get the feeling
have upon this question into the con
science and aspiration OF every lndlai
service employe until there shall pre-
vail a sort OF righteous passion 10 Sc
that every Indian child has a fail
chance to live.
There is something fundamenta
here:
We cannot solve the Indian prob
lem without Indians. We cannot edu
cate their children unless they ar
kept alive.
All our Indian schools, reserva
tons, individual allotments ana ac
cumulated incomes tend patheticall!
towards a wasted altruism il main
tanned and conserved for a wither
ing, decadent people.
II we have an
Indian Policy
worthy OF the name, us goal must D.
an enduring and sturdy race, true t
the noblest OF It's original instlnct'
and virtues and Loyalty sympathetl'
with our social and national LIE;
body OF efficient citizens blending
their unique poise and powers wlti
the keen and sleepless Vlgor OF tn'
white man.
We must, therefore, renew dali!
our warfare against the arch Zoe o
eftlciency-disease.
We must begin at the right place
not only with the infant at its mothers
breast but with the unborn genera
ton.
The new campaign for health II
which l would enlist you is first OF al
to save the babies!
Statistics startle us with the fac
that approximately three-hfths OF tn
Indian infants die before the age o
> years.
OF what use to this mournful NOR
tally are III ~splendidly equipped
schools?
l earnestly call upon every 1ndia1
bureau employe to help reduce thi
frightful percentage. Superlntenuent'
teachers, physicians, matrons, nurse
everyone can do something by instruc
ton or example, the physician wit
his science, the nurse with her traine
skill, the matron with her motherl
sollcitude, all of us by personal ny
giene, cleanliness and sobriety.