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Show I hope and confidently believe that the native American soldiem %eqiluli p themselves with credit to the noble ancestry of their race. LIBERTYILOAN BONDS. With your approval, the matter of purchasing bonds of the first issue of the liberty loan was brought to the attention of the Indians and all employees of the Indian Service. O5cia1 information, with suitable subscription blanks, was sent to all superintendents and encouragement extended to them to participate in a movement offering investments both prudent and patriotic. Considering the brief time allowed for fully presenting this important subject before the date lked for closing subscriptions, the results impress me as a distinct and gratifying triumph. It is quite certain that many subscriptions were made by Indians, and some by service employees, which were not specifically reported, but the following are definitely known: Subscriptions by 1,147 employees, $178,750; by 525 adult Indians $3,273,450, by 851 Indians minors and students in Indian schools $1,334,400; making a total of 2,623 subscriptions for $4,786,600 in liberty loan bonds. Of the foregoing, the employees and pupils of one of the leading schools subscribed $15,000; employees in the Indian Oflice at Wash-ington subscribed $23,900; employees in the office of the superin-tendent of the Five Civilized Tribes subscribed $16,300. Probably the most noteworthy showing was the subscription of 67 Indians, including incompetents and minors, aggregating $3,919,650. The individual amountsranged from $50 to $640,000, but 20 of them being less than $10,000 each. The largest subscription wss by Jackson Barnett, through his guardian, a full blood, and one of the wealthiest of the Creek Indians. He also desired to donate $50,000 to the Red Cross fund, but owing to legal objections it was deemed inadvisable to authorize such a gift. The individual moneys invested by theae and many other Indian subscribers, it should be stated, were very largely either noninterest bearing or drawing less than the interest rate of the bonds. But while the Indians were readily attracted by the investment feature, they were willing and eager to contribute patriotic support to the Government. Many applications were made too late for acceptance under the regulation and many who were unable to purchase declared an intention to subscribe when the next issue is offered. Among the Apache subscribers of New Mexico, one wem a medal presented by the President for special service as a scout in the capture of the Geronimo baud in 1882. Several other war scouts were liberal purchasers, and the only remaining strife with the old warrior line seems to be the friendly rivalry for owning bonds, for both the widow and son of Geronimo were subscribers, as was also the son of old Chief Victoria, long an enemy of the Government. |
