I visited Mr. Kelsey’s office and spent a number of days there watching the conduct of business. The tremendous activity in the oilfields, and the thousands of applications for oil leases or purchase of Indian lands pass, for the most part, through his hands and those of his able assistants. If it were not for his efforts and those of Commissioner Wright, and the tribal attorneys (and not to omit Mr. Mott, Mr. Foreman and Miss Barnard), in other words, if there had not appeared before those who sought to despoil the Indians this “stone wall defense”, there would be little to record today beyond the fact that the Five Civilized Tribes at one time possessed a great deal of property. Mr. Kelsey served over ten years as Superintendent of the Union Agency and is thoroughly familiar with conditions in Oklahoma. His recommendations, therefore, should carry weight. They are found on page 93 of his report. “1. Continued and more practical care of the health and property of the older, uneducated, full-blood Indian, and the disposition, under proper supervision, of his excess land holdings. “2. The immediate placing of all mature, able-bodied Indians entirely upon their own resources when shown that they have had sufficient experience or education to enable them to earn a livelihood. “3. Systematic and compulsory education of every Indian child, and conservation of his property in the meantime.” He emphasizes the education of Indian children for the reason that back in the hills in Oklahoma there are several thousand children not officially recognized as members of the tribes, for the reason that they have been born since the rolls were closed. As no provision is made for the education of these, he properly claims that these children constitute one of the great problems in Oklahoma. He also states that most of the adult Indians have remaining more or less property or money. I would add to his recommendations that this property and money must be wisely safeguarded else the Indians will become paupers. Already a few of them are living on the section lines, along the county roads. And this number will increase rapidly, unless we make the citizenship real and effective. The office held by Mr. Wright now being consolidated with that of Mr. Kelsey, he acts as Supervisor. I wrote him a long letter concerning the Oklahoma situation, and a portion of his reply should be included in this book:— * * * * *