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MEMORIAL OF PEACE ASSOCIATION OF FRIENDS OF PHILADELPHIA AGAINST BUILDING OF FOUR NEW BATTLE SHIPS, ETC.

Mr. HALE presented the following

MEMORIAL OF THE PEACE ASSOCIATION OF FRIENDS OF PHILADELPHIA REMONSTRATING AGAINST THE GREAT ADDITION TO THE NAVY INVOLVED IN THE PLAN OF AUTHORIZING AT ONCE THE CONSTRUCTION OF FOUR NEW BATTLE SHIPS AND OTHER CRUISERS AND VESSELS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY.

MARCH 17, 190s.-Referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs and ordered to be printed.

To the Congress of the United States:

The Peace Association of Friends of Philadelphia respectfully enters an earnest protest against the authorization at this session of Congress of the building of four new battle ships, with cruisers, docks, etc., aggregating an expenditure in excess of $60,000,000.

Your remonstrants urge the following considerations in support of their protest:

The unprecedented rapid growth of our Navy can be justified on grounds of grave national peril only.

No such peril appears in any direction. On the contrary, within a year the action of the Second Hague Conference did away with the bombardment of unfortified towns, and three-fourths of the countries of the world went on record as advocating the protection of private property at sea in time of war; assurance was given of the establishment of a Court of Nations at the Hague, and the cause of international arbitration treaties received renewed life.

The relations of our Government with other countries are amicable and give promise of stable peace. Those in positions of authority and knowledge in America and in Japan assure us that the recent questions at issue have never threatened a break in the friendly relations of the two countries, but that the deplorable agitation of the public mind was created by misinformed persons and a sensational press.

The vast and constantly increasing expenditure for naval purposes is adding to the burden of taxation in a time of financial uncertainty and business depression.

Such expenditure diverts national revenue from useful and productive projects of internal development and improvement now urgently demanded by the needs of the country to facilitate commerce and promote the general welfare.

History teaches that the immunity from foreign wars and aggression enjoyed by our country is due not to a great navy and an imposing military establishment, but to our national policy of friendliness, candor, and pure intent in international affairs. This policy has made "American diplomacy" a term of honor among nations.

The policy of naval and military expansion is new to our country. It suggests a change of base from the principles of our fathers; an attitude of unrest, self-assertion, and display that is undignified and out of keeping with our national genius.

A large and rapidly increasing part of our population has come to the United States to escape economic, social, and governmental conditions, created by military burdens and the inheritance of old wars. These citizens are not in sympathy with a movement to restore them to a condition from which they sacrificed much to be free.

There is a growing sentiment, already widely entertained, that war is a barbarous method that settles controversies on a basis of mere physical force and not of justice and righteousness. Arbitration, on the contrary, appeals strongly to our people as a method based on equity and reason.

By reason of the progress of recent years, and the facilities afforded at The Hague, international arbitration is as much a part of the world's government as the law courts are part of the national life. For two civilized nations to rush into arms over a controversy that can be settled rightly only by judicial action is regarded now as an act of criminal folly.

Hence it appears that the naval force should be regarded only as national police. Your remonstrants believe that our present navy is amply large for this purpose, and should not be increased. Any large addition to our present force is likely to become a menace and source of danger rather than a protection.

Therefore your remonstrants urge upon you, as chosen representatives of the people, the defeat of this proposed legislation, because they believe it to be inexpedient and unnecessary, wasteful of the national revenue, contrary to our historical development and national genius, at variance with the sentiment of a large proportion of the people of the United States, and contrary to the international policy of a Christian nation that has stood before the world as a leader in peace and an exponent of justice and friendliness.

Signed by authority and on behalf of the Peace Association of Friends of Philadelphia.

JOHN B. GARRETT, President,

lent,

STANLEY R. YARNALL, Vice-President,
JOSHUA L. BAILY,

ISAAC SHARPLESS.

PEACE ASSOCIATION OF FRIENDS OF PHILADELPHIA,

20 S. TWELFTH STREET,

H. W. CADBURY, Secretary. PHILADELPHIA, Third Month, 9th, 1908.

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1st Session.

No. 395.

DRAFT OF BILL RELATING TO ADMINISTRATION OF INDIAN AFFAIRS.

Mr. CLAPP presented the following

DRAFT OF A BILL RELATING TO THE ADMINISTRATION CF INDIAN AFFAIRS.

MARCH 19, 1908.-Referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs and ordered to be

printed.

Hon. MOSES E. CLAPP,

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,

OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS,
Washington, March 3, 1908.

Chairman, Committee on Indian Affairs,

United States Senate.

I have had compiled and embodied in the draft of a bill the various measures relating to the administration of Indian Affairs now pending before the Congress, to which have been added two or three which have not appeared in print.

I am handing you herewith the draft and will give a brief explanation of each of the subjects embraced in the bill.

Allotments (H. Doc. No. 705).—The object of the provisions under this title is to amend the general allotment law so as to permit the allotment to each Indian of such area as may be for his best interests, not exceeding the quantity named in the bill-40 acres of irrigable, 80 acres of nonirrigable agricultural, or 640 acres of grazing land.

The present law provides that each Indian who may be alloted under it shall be given 80 acres of agricultural land or 160 acres of grazing.

Where the agricultural land is irrigable-as is the case in most of the reservations yet to be allotted--80 acres is too much to give each Indian. The maximum should not exceed 40 acres, and on some of the reservations 5 acres will be ample for each Indian. On the other hand 160 acres of grazing land is in many places wholly insufficient to sustain an Indian who may elect to engage in stock raising.

The proposed amendment of the law will permit allotments in quantities varying as the local conditions shall render advisable.

Cancellation of allotments (H. Doc. No. 505).-There are many cases pending in the Office where the allottees feel under some moral obligation to members of their families or their divorced wives and

wish to relinquish part of their allotments so as to allow these obligees to select the lands relinquished for their own use.

The object of the paragraph under the above title is to enable them to do this.

Leasing Indian lands (H. Doc. No. 633; S. Doc. No. 72).-The purpose of the first paragraph under this title is to extend the authority for leasing Indian reservations, which is now confined to "lands bought and paid for," to all reservations for mining purposes and to place the length of the term for which tribal and allotted lands may be leased for mining purposes--now ten and five years, respectively-within the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior. The reasons for asking this legislation are given in the Secretary's letter of February 6 (H. Doc. 633).

The second paragraph provides for leasing irrigable allotted and tribal lands for not exceeding ten years for tribal land and for a term not exceeding the unexpired trust period for allotted lands for intensive farming.

The Secretary has put it well "that Congress could enact no wiser law than legislation authorizing the leasing of all Indian lands susceptible of irrigation, tribal or allotted, for farming purposes for a long term of years."

The third paragraph authorizes the Secretary to lease the lands of any Indian, declared under State laws to be an habitual drunkard, and to use the proceeds for his maintenance in the State asylum.

As the Indians for the most part pay no taxes, the local authorities are loth to enforce any laws against them which will increase the expenses of the county or State. In order that I may be in position. to ask the enforcement of the State laws in regard to habitual drunkards, and to remove the principal objection to such enforcement, I ask for the enactment of the proposed legislation.

Power and reservoir sites (H. Doc. No. 707).—The paragraph under this title authorizes the Secretary to reserve power and reservoir sites on Indian reservations before the surplus lands are opened to settlement or entry, and to dispose of these for the benefit of the Indians.

Under existing law such sites, when the lands are opened, can be protected only by proceeding under the reclamation act. That service is engaged in so many and varied projects that it can not attempt many that would be feasible were it in a position to carry on the needed work, and under that act the Indians would derive no benefits commensurate with the value of these sites.

The proposed legislation will enable the Secretary to dispose of such valuable natural resources and to conserve the proceeds for the benefit of the Indians.

Removal of restrictions. This authorizes the Secretary, in his discretion, to turn loose any Indian allottee who persists in violating the laws of his State or of the United States after he has been warned of the consequences of his acts.

I do not believe that any Indian who refuses to obey the laws of State and nation, after due warning, is entitled to any further protection from the Government, but think that he should be left to take care of himself as best he can, like any other citizen.

Rights of way (H. Doc. No. 201, 59th Cong., 2d sess.).-There is no existing means by which rights of way for various purposes can be granted on an Indian allotment, except condemnation proceedings under State laws. The provisions under this title, if enacted. will

remedy such defect and enable the Secretary to grant rights of way over allotments as well as over tribal lands.

Sales of Indian allotments (S. Doc. No. 61).-The law authorizing the sale of Indian allotted lands, inherited or otherwise, is covered by a number of acts, more or less conflicting, the effect of which has been very unsatisfactory. To reconcile the conflicts and simplify as much as possible the formalities to be observed in conveying the lands of minors, insane, and mentally incompetent persons, the Secretary, on December 9, 1907, submitted to the Congress the draft of an act "to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to issue patents in fee to purchasers of Indian lands under any law now existing or hereafter enacted."

This draft has been revised by a subcommittee of the House Committee on Indian Affairs and appears in the bill herewith under the above title as so revised.

I believe the enactment of this legislation will simplify greatly the method of selling lands, and that the issuance of fee-simple patents to the purchasers will result in the Indians receiving a larger compensation for their lands and secure to the purchasers an indefeasible title.

Sale of timber (S. Doc. No. 66; S. Rept. No. 175).-A draft of a bill "to provide for the sale of timber on allotted and unallotted Indian lands, and for other purposes," was submitted to the Congress by the Secretary on December 9, 1907 (S. Doc. No. 66).

A bill with that title (S. 4548) passed the Senate on February 11, which provides for the sale of tiniber on allotted lands only, the provision relating to unallotted lands having been stricken out on the recommendation of the Senate committee (S. Rept. No. 175). The report does not mention any objections to the provision, and I am not aware of the reasons which influenced the committee to make its recommendation.

There is now no law under which timber on lands within Indian reservations, except in the States of Minnesota and Wisconsin, can be sold, other than the dead timber, standing or fallen, which may be sold under the provisions of the act of February 16, 1889 (25 Stat. L., 673), with the consent of the President, and not otherwise. It is well known to this Office that on many of the reservations there is a large amount of matured timber which should be cut and its value saved to the Indians. This is also true of timber on allotments on reservations in States other than Wisconsin and Minnesota, and there should be some general law applicable to allotted and unallotted lands alike, under which the matured timber on any Indian reservation could be sold. The paragraph authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to call upon the Forest Service for assistance was stricken out in the Senate.

For these reasons I have incorporated the original draft in the accompanying bill and trust that it may be enacted in that form.

As to this, the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture have entered into a cooperative scheme by which the Forest Service will take charge of the general supervision and sale of timber on Indian allotments, although the Forest Service is under the Department of Agriculture. The scheme has been in force for about eighteen months in Wisconsin and has worked very satisfactorily, and the Department of Agriculture has in no way interfered or attempted to direct what shall be done, but has left it entirely to the Interior Department, the Indian Office, and the Forest Service. The Interior

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