The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-06-09
INDIAN PROBE
UNDER WAY IN
NORTH DAKOTA
III. S. Senate's Investigators
Gather in Bismarck for
Conference Today
CLAWS HEADS FIELD
Man Who Developed Ballinger
Scandal and Guggenheim
Row Is Leader
CLAWS HEADS FIELD

Field work in the investigation of
Indian affairs authorized by the
United States senate is under way
in North Dakota and the Montanas.
This was evidenced in Bismarck
today when field Investigators en-
ployed by the senate committee of
which Senators Frazier. Wheeler,
Pyne, Thomas and La Toilette are
members, gathered in Bismarck.
They wern headed by Louis r.
CLAWS, former federal land office
inspector, whose activities are cred
tied with revealing the Guggenheim
scandal in Alaska and starting the
Ballinger investigation which split
the Taft administration.
Other Investigators here were
Captain Raymond Bonnin, former
army officer, and Walter w. Liggett.
Bonnin has Indian blood. His wife,
Gertrude Bonnin, is known as one
of the country's most brilliant In
dian women and is a full-blood
Sioux. She has published several
UOVNS OU AuuI0u dA10IIS 0uO has u
national reputation as . lecturer
upon Indian subjects who has had
a wide hearing before women's or
CARNATIONS throughout the country.
Inspectors Silent
Inspectors here today refused to
discuss the investigation in any
phase. They are not permitted to
give newspaper interviews.
The present investigation is
known, however, to be directed to a
survey of administration of Indian
affairs which is countrywide. 1t
was authorized by Senate resolution
No. 70 carrying an appropriation Of
$4,000 which was passed by one
vote.
As head of the Indian affairs COM
mittee Senator Lynn J. Frazier
practically is head of the investi.
cation. While none of the investi.
gators here today would authorize
statements it is known that hear.
ings are to held and evidence tax.
en- in all the western states. Nc
definite time is set for these hear.
ings, Washington advices said to.
day. They probably will not be
called until after the field investi-
cation now under way is completed.
Scope of the investigation is exx-
pected to cover two main detectives,
welfare work for Indians and ad.
ministrative methods of the Indian
bureau.
Frazier Gives Position
In Bismarck yesterday Senator
Frazier made it clear that the SEN
ate committee is not seeking to
embarass heads of the Indian de-
partment. He said it is particularly
anxious to learn actual conditions
and arrive at conclusions that will
be Of constructive value upon the
Indian problem and that special ef-
fort will be made to get the Indian
viewpoint and to investigate griev-
ances voiced by Indians.
The senator said he is personally
keenly interested in having adeuate
school facilities for every Indian
child. He is directing personal in
terest to this phase of the investi-
CATION and in his speeches is point
ing to the fact that information he
already has shows there are $50 In
dian children in North Dakota of
school age who have never had
school facilities.
Walter Liggett Here
Walter Liggett, one Of the inves-
tigators here today, is a former
North Dakota and Minnesota news
paper man, now living at Province
town, Mass. Since leaving North
Dakota four years ago Liggett has
been employed on New York and
Washington newspapers and has
found time to publish two books,
"The Frozen Frontier" and "The
River Riders" both of which have
been well received, especially by his