Evening star., 1948-05-23
By ChoImers M. Roberts

An innocent-appearing bill due 10
be called up for action in the Sem
ate tomorrow provides one OF the
strangest ramifications of the long
and bitter tidelands oil controversy
i Effect of the bill would be to bar
a former assistant Attorney Cen
eral, Norman M. Littell, from rep
resenting the Mission Indian Fed
Grafton of California in its claim Tor
a part of the uncounted wealth
lying of the States shoreline.
The bills Indian opponents claim
it is being rushed through Congress
because the State OF California is
afraid of the Indian claims If placed
in the hands of competent legal
counsel, of unquestioned fidelity to
the interests of the Indians
i The bills sponsor, Senator Butler
Republican, of Nebraska said last
night the bill would, indeed, bar
Mr.. Littell from representing the
Indians before the Indian Claims
Commission. But, the Senator said,
the basic idea is to clean up the
mess" growing out of "the racket
whereby about $4,000 lawyers are
trying to represent the $4,000 In
dians" in California.
Limited to Attorney General.
The Senator said he thinks highly
of Mr.. Littell, but not so highly oil
other lawyers.
The bill, titled "a bill to authorize
the Indian Claims Commission to
hear and determine certain claims
of the Indians of California, pro-
vides that the Attorney General OF
California is the only person who
can bring claims-including tideland
oil claims-against the Government
before the commission.
The Senate will consider the bill
on the consent calendar tomorrow,
procedure under which a single
objection can prevent any immedi-
ate action.
Adam Castillo, president OF the
Mission Indian Federation OF Cali
fornia. the group of some $500 In
dians in whose behalf Mr.. Littell In
April filed a brief with the Supreme
Court, issued bitter statement last
week on the Butler bill. Mr.. Castillo
said fatty the bill had been mend
ed in the Senate Insular Affairs
Committee at the request OF Callfor-
mia Attorney General Fred N.
Howser to make certain that no one
else could represent the Indians.
Stranglehold Is Seen.
Mr.. Castillo called this a slick
trick" which would give the Attor-
ney General of California a stangle-
hold on the legal rights OF the In
dams of California. 1t forces the
legal business of the Indians into the
Attorney Generals hands"
Then Mr.. Castillo asked why this
zeal of California and its Attorney
General to represent the Indians?'
His own answer is that the State Is
afraid" of the Indian claims in Mr..
LittelTs hands, that the greatest
fear in California today is the valid
legal claims of the Indians of Cali
fornia to the tidelands," and that
the bill represents "a last desperate
effort to keep control of the Indian
litigation, which the State Of CAL
ifornia has successfully done for a
generation"
Under the Indian Claims Commis-
sion law, an attorney seeking to rep
resent Indians must have his legal
contract with the Indians approved
by the Secretary OF the Interior. Mr..
Littell did not need this approval to
bring suit in the Supreme Court
(where he is asking to intervene in
the tidelands case decided last sum-
mer but not yet legally losed).
So far, Mr.. Littell said last night,
he has not filed the proper legal
papers with the Interior Department
to represent the Indians before the
Claims Commission. The delay has
been due to the laborious job OF
having all the Indian signatures
property sworn to. he pointed out,
but the papers will be filed within
a few days.
If Congress should pass the But
ier bill, however, Mr.. Littell could
not represent the Indians regard