The Cordova daily times., 1918-07-12
ABORIGINAL |S
 DOING H|S BIT
 PATR|OT|ClLLY

NASIII\GION, W July lI hr original Americans are in the war to tin" limit. Enlisting in tn" military services and the Red Cross with an enthusiasm unsurpas by their white brethren and pouring out their treas ure freely by subscriptions to the Liberty loans, the Indians are doing their share with a fine courage which capacity Of the German mind for com i putting the bond between the races in d fight for freedom.
 l Subscriptions by the Indians to the Liberty loans have totaled nearly $13.000.000. according to figures com piled by Cato Sells, Commissioner of Indian Affairs That is a subscrip- ton, and to preliminary training in the United States. Adults and minors have been about equally represented among the subscribers.
 The number of Indians in the milf, tary service Is more than 5000 Mir. Sells Is having prepared a complete record of their participation in the great war About 2,200 of the total 1 have been indexed and classified showing 1900 in the army, 200 in the navy and 100 in other military work. | Their willingness to bear their share of the hardships and dangers of mili- tary life is evidenced by the fact that 1900 of those classified volunteered for service, while 600 were drafted probably greater percentage of vol unteers than can be shown by any other of the numerous races repre- scented in the United States
 AS soldier the Indian makes good with a rush. Indian schools with an attendance of 30,00O annually. have military drill. almost without exCep- tion of about $40 for all Indians ip military life. the young soldier adds traditionally fine physique. One h. dian school has service flag with unteer enlistments. Another school has flag of 175 stars.
 While the young braves are over seas fighting an enemy whose cruelty Is more refined and deadly than the uncivlized Indians ever practiced. the grizzled old warriors of other days, men who remember when the American West was only emerging from a wilderness and the white man still was regarded as q foe remain on the reservations. smoking the pipe of. peace with their white neighbors and preaching the doctrine of patriotism to their people. Sons and grandsons of Chiefs John Grass. Joseph. John Gall and other Indian leaders are in the United States army.
 Indian women, likewise, are doing their share by aiding in Red Cross work. Although d complete vocation. al course of four years in nursing is of comparative recent introduction in the larger schools in the reservations, six young women have been excepted 1 for hospital service abroad and others are being prepared for similar work. | One reservation boasts of a Red Cross l banner in every home Saturday afternoons are devoted by most of l the women to sewing for army hos. 1 pitfalls and the boys give their holidays to gathering sphagnum moss in the bogs and marshes for use in surgical pads and ambulance pillows.
 Separate units for Indians have not been organized by the army because of the desire to have them rub elbows with fellow citizens and become ac- Quainted
 Wonderful and spontaneous fidelity ito the highest welfare of the na- ton " is the way Commissioner Sells describes the response of the Indian to his country'a need
 "I hail this growing manifestation in indian life d. sure basis for the strong and trustworthy citizenship to which our efforts are directed