The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-09-19
u. S. INDIAN COMMISSIONER
CAN'T QUALIFY AS TRIBAL POET
Indians Not Satisfied With His Record As Citizen; In
innate He's Been Member OF Civil Liberties Union

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 (UP)
Indian Commissioner John Col
her, who would restore to the
Red Man his ancient, savage cul-
ture, and the right to practice the
Barbarous rituals that PENIS
Quakers found so revolving, can
never be the poet-laureate of the
tribes.
He was disillusioned on this
score in a letter from the Ameri-
can Indian Federation, whose
president, Joseph Bruner, object
ed to one of Golfers poems about
a Spanish ANARCHIST" who called
the American flag:
E. Simply piece of cloth three
yards longs and hung on a pole"
Burners letter, written from
Sapulpa, Okla, Sept. 6, and pass
ed around for publication last
night, because no reply has been
received by the president" begs
Collier to prod his memory for
the following facts:
Whether you (COllier) were
ever a member of the American
Civil Liberties Union, the organ
ization which was outlawed in
New York state"
Whether Solicitor Mar G l d,
legal adviser to the Indian bureau,
still is a member of "the outfit"
while holding an important posi-
ton in the government?
Does Secretary of the Interior
Harold L. Ickes belong ('you said
you would be surprised if Ickes
did not contribute money to the
union, and wished that you
could"
"Have you contributed anything
to this worthy cause since you tes-
titled before the congressional
committee hearing against you"
Why was it necessary for Col
lier to hire Estref Shevsky to
manage the Indian submarginal
land project. ("This citizen of
Turkey had been in this country
some 20 years, but did not think
enough of the U.S.A. to become a
citizen until you (COllier) per
suaded' him to make out his first
papers so you could give him a
good job"
"You told the committee that
if there were another like him,
even though he were from Beloo-
chestan, you would hire him."
Why Collier hired Mexican
citizen Eat public expense" to or
ganize the new Indian schools.
("Was it because you propose to
introduce Mexican ideas of edu-
cation and religion into our
school system?"
Why, on "March 10, 1885,
your (Collier's) superintendent
(of the Chilocco Indian schooD
addressed communication to
various missionaries that they
would not be permitted to hold
revival services at the school, or
ask students to join any religi-
Gus body?"
care the aliens in your service
members of the American Civil
Liberties Union?"
Whether Collier, in the event
he holds any public meetings,
will ask that an American flag
be displayed, or the meeting open
ed with a prayer; or will they be
like other neutrality-suspicious. re-
spect for God and country?'
zone more thing, Mr.. Com
Please bring copies of
your poems. l mean those IN
which you laud Isadore Duncan,
Russian Radical, and Francisco
Ferrer, Spanish Anarchist, VIII"
advised the folks not to be eXcit-
ed about the flag, which is SIM
ply a piece of cloth three yards
long and hung on pole
Poetic praise of these folks
might interest some folks, but
am sure our boys, who are men,
bers of the VIEW. and American
Legion would not nominate you
as their poet-laureate."
Bruner reminded Collier that
the foregoing questions were ask
ed at the congressional hearing,
but Collier replied that he didn't.
Collier recently announced that
he would visit the Indian tribes OF
Oklahoma, where his program TO
revive the original Indian culture
is being pushed.