RETROSPECTION

As we look back over the past and take a bird's eye view of the United States map and history, - we have a fairly accurate understanding of what has taken place in seventy years in it. There was one railroad across it from the Missouri to the Pacific. Sacramento, San Francisco and Portland were live towns, and Omaha, Salt Lake and Denver took on new life. Los Angeles at the time was little more than a village. About all that lay north and south of the new railroad was Indian Country, and in the first stages of settlement by gold-seekers, adventurers, hide-hunters and cattle-men, - and it was wide open to the immigrants from all nations and peoples of the world. A main business of eastern railroads was the operation of their "Emigrant Trains" and the hot competition between them was for many years, that special traffic; it was also the inspiration for new railroads both east and west of the Missouri River, and into the timber and ranch country of the northwest. Only one who has lived through that period and saw the magnitude and speed with which the country was appropriated and developed can appreciate when and how the United States became the "greatest" nation. History is but s skimping record of it all. Beginning with Grant's first term, the Messages and Papers of the Presidents reveal astounding transformation! To have seen it and been a part of it is to appreciate it. others cannot, and do not.

Now, that the whole world is at war and half the population of two billions are hungry and starving, and being slaughtered by millions, one shudders to contemplate what the outcome may be. As regards the United States, no political power can restore the forests and other natural resources that have been destroyed and wasted; no "experts" in conservation or in scientific laboratories can return the billions of tons of soil that has been washed into the gulfs and seas, and make the land productive as the emigrants found it, and from which they became rich, - and made the "greatest nation" from it!

For the first time we have a global anarchy, - world-wide chaos and destruction of property of incomprehensible value, - thousands of ships and thousands of humans at the bottom of the seas, - billions of wealth which never can be recovered, - wealth which will take generations to reproduce, if at al possible!

Germany, Japan and Italy have set out to conquer and rule the world while Britain, United States and China say they shall not; and Russia with her front line Red Army and her two hundred million tested fighters and brave citizens, stand fast against Hitler's blitzkrieg, and pledge to fight to the last man, with us. As these lines are written, news is radioed that the United Nations forces have won a big naval victory over the Japs at Solomon Islands, - and that Admiral Darian has joined our forces in North Africa, and are now advancing toward Tunis. There they will meet the Hitler forces and the outcome of this clash is yet to be known. The American and English - all the United Nations people, wait and hope for the best. Indians never knew such hideous barbarism as has been practiced by Hitler in this world holocaust nor did they inflict upon innocent people such inexcusable outrages.

The more we see and know of, white, yellow and brown savagery and mismanagement of public affairs, the more we like Indians! Our experience over fifty years, with both sides, confirms this declaration.

Wigwam, November 17, 1942. M.I. McCreight