Arizona republican., 1917-12-15
CATO SELLS |S !. PROUD IF ARMY.
 WORK 0E. WARDS

Cato Sells, commissioner Of Indian affairs, upon the occasion of his recent visit to this city during which he paid an official visit to the Indian school, expressed himself as gratified with the response made by the Indians to ths presidents call to arms. He was then of the opinion that they would make excellent soldiers, especially if placed on an equal footing with their white brothers.
 Since leaving Phoenix, Commissioner Sells has visited many of the army cantonments for the specific purpose of calling upon Indian soldiers and | making a survey of conditions. In the | four cantonments he visited in Texas he found approximately 1,500 Indians | in uniform; about 400 at Camp Bowie, | Fort Worth; 250 at Camp McArthur, Waco; 800 at Camp Travis, San An | tonic, and a small number at Camp | Logan, Houston.
 q addressed the Indians collectively at. each cantonment and conferred with them individually, making definite in- quiry concerning their treatment, | Commissioner Sells said in an inter- l view a day or two ago. Everywhere I found them well contented and mo- where, either disposition to complain or cause for complaining.
 "They are a splendid body of mer physically and with a wonderful spirit of patriotism.
 "The officers in command universally complimented the Indians for theil good behavior and highly commended | them as soldiers. I was especially pleased that the Indians are not segre- gated but that they are located withou regard to the fact that they are Indians 1 am srongly opposed to independen Indian units, large or small, and an firm in the opinion that they should enter the army upoE the same basis al other citizens; that they should b' mixed indiscriminately among tn, whites; elbow to elbow, so that the! may absorb the English language habits and civilization of their whit brothers. I want no discrimination either for or against them, but believ that they should be promoted on thei merits and always advanced when the. are deserving.
 T visited the hospitals, made in quiry as to their management, calle, upon each sick Indian, inquired int matters of sanitation, water suppl, and health conditions generally. Wit the exception of the epidemic prevail . ing at Camp Bowie, the hospital en rollment was so small as to be yer } gratifying. This was notably true o : the Indians Only per cent of tn Indian enrolment at Fort Bowie ar . now in the hospitals, while about 1 per cent of the white soldiers are ther, the difference being accounted for be cause the Indians, with the exceptio . of those from Arizona, come from } colder climate than most of the whit , soldiers, who are largely from Texa. Only one Indian is numbered anon the dead. Anna Kulesten died Decem
 Der and his body was sent to his par
 ents at Broken Box, Oklahoma
 After telling what had been done t
 better health conditions at this caml
 Commissioner Sells said:
 "All together, our national army a
 it appears at the cantonments an
 aviation camps, is the flower of Ameri
 can manhood They are typict soldier
 representative young citizens with tn
 spirit of '76 and the fortitude of our ad
 vanced civilization. One cannot com
 in contact with their patriotic spir
 and earnest determination without be
 ing imbued with stronger love fc
 our country and greater appreciatio
 of the sacrifice they are making to pel
 petuate our institutions and accomplis
 a world wide democracy"