, 1923-03-08

the Interior. the office of Indian affairs and n
United States senator.
The purpose of this article is not TO pass judg-
ment on the merits of the controversy. My sym
patty is with the Pueblos. But for obvious rea-
sons l shall not indorse the protestants who
charge In effect that the Bursum bill is Il "land
grab" nor shall / indorse the bill as a measure
drawn for the benefit of the Indians, as claimed
by its supporters. Nor shall | attempt to straight
en- out the complications of the situation they are
the outgrowth of a century. l shall merely attempt
to give some Information about the controversy
and some of Its features.
Said Chairman III. p. SNYDER of the house n
mittee on Indian affairs "A tremendous propa-
ganda has been carried on throughout the country.
There has been nothing like it in Indian affairs, so
far as l know. l received, In three days, $50 tele-
grams stating that the senders were absolutely
opposed to the so-called Bursum-S Snyder bill and
In favor of the Leatherwood Jones bin"
clippings from the news columns of newspapers.
special articles, letters to the editor. editorials:
articles In the periodicals and magazines, pam
phiets and letters to members of congress would
make scrapbooks by the carload. Addresses by
the score have been made before all sorts of organ.
cations; resolutions have been passed by all sorts
OF associations. All sorts of people are actiye-
artists writer's, club women, mountalneers, archie
~ologists, naturalists, sociologists the list is n
eross-section Of American life.
And yet. to the student OF the times. the upris-
Ing should not be surprising. There is n slmilar
populnr uprising every time the commercial Inter
ests try TO break into the national parks through
congress. The truth of the matter Is that there
Is now n vast organized army of nature-Iovers in
this country who have made up their minds TINT
birds ana wild game and flowers and forests and
natural scenic beauty are to have n square deal.
The Pueblos appeal to this army OF nature-lovers
in many ways, aside from the question OF n
'square deal" which always interests the Amerl.
can people.
The Pueblos OF New Mexico are the father OF
agriculture and the mother OF irrigation. Their
pyramid houses stand today AS they stood long be.
fore there was an Engllsh-speaking resident in the
New World. Nowhere else In the world is there
ancient history so brought down TO date. Saws
Herbert j. Spinden of the Peabody museum. Har.
ward university:
Zone of our most precious possessions-we
should keep II tenderly and proudly In these
words Theodore Roosevelt characterized the arts
OF life and beauty created out Of the painted des.
erts Of the Southwest by the Pueblo Indians and
our duty toward them. II was ut walpi
Romance Is the most valuable commodity In the
world today. A pale reflection Of It on moving
picture screens makes n vast business. The tale
OF real emotions to be felt draws eager travellers
90 undertake long Noynges. such a fine culture
as TINT Of the Pueblo Indians. without doubt the
most complete expression OF a stimulating group
psychology In arts and ceremonle to be found any.
where In America. should be conserved with ten.
der care. 1t Is an lrreplaceable thing. The best
crop of the Southwest IL scenery, and the slogan
Our National Playground depends for much Of
It's effect upon indian connotntion. The Pueblo