The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-07-03

WASHINGTON, July 2.--Preai-
dent Harding has agreed TO person
aily pass upon the plea of the Mo-
have Apache Indians against being
forced Of their rich reservation ard
onto the desert.
The Indians feel tnat this insurcs
them against what their spokesmen
declare Is an old scheme to deprive
them OF their homes nthe Valley
Of the Verde In Arizona under the
. ruise Of presenting them with an al
diuonal allotment in the Salt River
reclamation district. The Verde river
is one Of the few clear water streams
in Arizona. II never runs dry and
the valley has been their homes sine
prehistoric times.
The Mcdowell reservation where
this tribe lives has been the target
for all sorts Of attacks for years by
those who want 10 get the water ard
the timber riches. More than once
one NJ these schemes has nearly sue
reeded. and this time the tribe
thought everything was lost as the
Indian Bureau was proceeding to put
TITO effect an order which, while dlH-
claiming any compulsory removal,
was calculated TO force them to tic
Salt River lands.
The Mcdowell reservation was Dc
clared 70 be only grazing and the
indians were permitted to use It Only
FOR that Actually these people have
'armed II since before the dawn ot
history and before them the AZtccs
voStges 0t whose irrigation ditches
still remain.
Secretary Of the Interior Fall re-
Gently announced that he saw nc
reason for permitting hearings OF
~ protests Of the individual In
,<ians, insisting. as all other sup
porters Of the project, that the whole
thing was Intended for the benefit
of the Indians. Consequently, thinge
looked pretty dark for the tribe until
they reached the president with their
plea that he appoint some man II
whom he had confidence 20 listen &c
their story
NO, sir the president IS quotrd
70 have replied 10 the spokesman foi
q Apachcs II will not appoint
ANYBODY 20 pass upon your mattcl E
viii do II myself
Persons there are afraid Of thi
W1ter-users Association on the Salt
River irrigation project, and the city
Of Phoenix, which would like to hav,
The Verde water for home uae
Joseph Iatimcr, a Chicago attorney
representing church and other or
ganizatlous formed to protect the
Indians is in Washington conduct
iEr the fight.
When he was president, the lat
Theodore Roosevelt took an activ'
interest IN seeing that the Indiaus
who number about 800, were securac
N their rights on the Camp Me
powe.l Reservation. II became thei
property partly as the result OF Al
ael a. congress and partly BY al
executive order.
In 1870 Walter l.. Fisher. thrI
Secretary II the Interior, approve,
We identical scheme that is nov
threatening the Indians.
WIN tho assistance Of whit
friends. however, the McDowal
aNellsrs succeeded IN having an in
~ us1'i0n made by the house com
Nh,lre ON expenditures in the In
Mrior department. Mr.. Latimer
Nho served AS examining attnrne,
,o' the committee. succeeded In get
.ns a mass Of papers from the In
.'An bureau, and the committee wen
10 ,h' bottom Of the matter.
AZ q result hr. Latimer was per
mNlsd a. take up the matter per
s9hailN with Secretary Fisher. Wh-l
an ~" facts were laid before IN
're'arN he promptly acknowledge,
"'s error having meanwhile had a
EIlNltp on PAGE TWO