It is, therefore, evident that the Bureau of Education sought a way to minimize its failures in Alaska by determined efforts to bring Metlakahtla under its jurisdiction, where it could bask in the glory of Father Duncan's world-famous mission, or else lay an ax to this towering tree whose fruits presented such a marked contrast to its own inefficient and unproductive work in Alaska.

A THRUST AT THE HEART OF THE MISSION

One of the first steps taken by the rapacious representatives of the Bureau of Education after they had seized the water-power pipe line with which the industries that supported the mission were operated, was the grossly wanton seizure of the greater part of the mission plot, upon which were located the principal mission buildings and a portion of Father Duncan'es garden.

In choosing a site on which to erect the Government school buildings at Metlakahtla, the Bureau of Education selected the very heart of the grounds which were set apart for and had been peaceably occupied by the buildings of the Metlakahtla Christian Mission for 27 years.

The Bureau's Government school building was erected inside of Father Duncan's garden, and close in front of his Mission School and overshadowing it.

The ground seized as a school site by the Bureau of Education embraced approximately 348,000 square feet in the midst of a larger area which Father Duncan had many years before, at his personal cost of about $2,000, cleared of primeval forests and surveyed, mapped, and set apart as "The Metlakahtla Christian Mission Plot", to be used exclusively for mission purposes.

Other suitable and unoccupied locations were available in Metlakahtla without intruding this school on the sacred mission plot; and it is, therefore, evident that the selection of this mission site for the Government school was a deliberately malicious act committed with the intention of invading the mission and undermining Father Duncan.

SEIZURE OF MISSION PLOT

The selection of this particular tract for the exclusive use of the Bureau of Education was tantamount to a seizure of the buildings thereon used by Father Duncan for mission purposes; and the plan to deprive him and his mission of these buildings found its origin in the fertile mind of William T. Lopp, Chief of that Bureau's Alaska Division, who had long been scheming to "extinguish the Duncan mission and all its work", as was shown by Benjamin A. Haldane's statement sworn to on June 15, 1921.

On July 15, 1914, L. A. Kalbach, Acting Commissioner of the Bureau of Education, wrote to Lopp, as follows:

In accordance with advice from the office of the Secretary of the Interior, you are informed that as Annette Island is a reservation under the immediate control of the Secretary of the Interior, it is necessary that before the erection of a school building in Metlakahtla is undertaken the Commissioner of Education should request the Secretary to set aside for school purposes under the Bureau of Education the lot upon which it is proposed to erect the school building. The location and the dimensions of the lot desired should be accurately described.

In response to that letter, Lopp, on July 23, 1914, reported from Seattle to the Commissioner of Education, as follows:

In compliance with your letter of July 15 relative to the setting aside of a lot at Metlakahtla in the Annette Island Reserve for the use of the Bureau of Education, I have had Superintendent W. G. Beattie, who is now here in conference with me, make a pencil sketch of Metlakahtla indicating the piece of ground that we desire to have set aside for the purpose mentioned. I am forwarding the sketch under separate cover.

It will be noted that this space contains the old town hall, the old school building, and an old dormitory.

* *

I recommend that the rectangular space indicated in the sketch by the letters A, B, C, D be set apart for the use of the United States Bureau of Education. On August 25, 1914, the Commissioner favorably reported Lopp's recommendation to the Secretary of the Interior, and on September 11, 1914, the seizure was completed through the approval of the Commissioner's report by the office of the Secretary of the Interior.

SEIZURES MADE IN A MANNER TO ANTAGONIZE FATHER DUNCAN AND CRIPPLE HIS MISSION

That it was from the beginning the anxious desire of these plotters to antagonize Father Duncan and cripple his mission through their seizure and exclusive control of these buildings, as well as in other ways, is proved by the fact that they designated this particular tract, in the heart of his mission plot, which was a much larger area than was needed by them for school purposes.

Lopp was so anxious to expedite the seizure that he failed to visit Metlakahtla after he received Kalbach's letter of July 15, 1914, for the purpose of selecting the most suitable site for the school building; but with the help of William G. Beattie, the Bureau's superintendent of schools for the southeastern district of Alaska, who was with him at that time, he made the selection at his office in Seattle, Wash.. almost immediately after receiving Kalbach's letter. This is proved by the fact that his report of July 23, 1914, announcing the selection to the Commissioner of Education, was written in Seattle only 8 days after the date of Kalbach's letter, which was mailed to him from Washington, D. C., on July 15, 1914.

The scheme of Lopp and his coconspirators to gain control of the mission buildings and deprive Father Duncan of their use is further shown by the fact that they did not select either of two other unoccupied tracts outside of the mission plot, which were "better sites for the Government school building" than the one selected, as shown by the statement of Dr. Henry J. Minthorn quoted later.

The audacious tendencies of these schemers were again manifested when they ignored the suggestion in Acting Commissioner Kalbach's letter of July 15, 1914, that Lopp designate "the lot upon which it is proposed to erect the school building."

Instead of selecting a village "lot" of 80 by 90 feet, as defined on the official village map of Metlakahtla, Lopp, in seeking control of the mission buildings, selected and recommended the setting aside of a tract containing nearly 8 acres in the heart of the mission plot, and more than 48 times the size of a village lot.

STATEMENT BY DR. HENRY J. MINTHORN REGARDING SEIZURE OF MISSION GROUNDS

The following is quoted from a statement of Dr. Henry J. Minthorn in regard to the seizure of Father Duncan's mission grounds:

2. I spoke to the Government agent especially about putting the Government school building on the land cleared by Mr. Duncan, and asked him why he did not put it somewhere else. The land was occupied by Mr. Duncan's buildings. (See picture and map attached.) It was put right in Mr. Duncan's garden, among the mission buildings, less than 50 feet from Mr. Duncan's building, and the stable much nearer the girls' home building; and in general, the location of the Government building materially interfered with the usefulness of the mission building, and it seemed to me to be intentionally so. ** In my opinion, there were at least two better sites for the Government school building

*

*

The Government buildings erected on the mission grounds at Metlakahtla stand as monumental evidence of what ruthless trespass heartless bureaucrats have committed, and which they may not hesitate again to commit against Christian missions in the United States of America, its Territories and possessions, if allowed, roughshod and unbridled, to pursue such an illegal and high-handed course.

SECTION 34. PLOTTERS PLAN TO CONTINUE INVASIONS AND SEIZURES

Bureau of Education plans to cripple sources of mission support. "Watchful waiting." "The time to act is at hand." "He should be coerced into leaving." Attempt to make Father Duncan a Bureau agent. Bureau seeks to broaden shoulders "upon which would be heaped much blame." Policy of Bureau of Education based on doctrines of communism

BUREAU OF EDUCATION PLANS TO CRIPPLE SOURCES OF MISSION SUPPORT

The establishment of the Government school and the seizure of the mission grounds at Metlakahtla were but initial steps in the execution of the conspiracy.

The next trick in the tactics of the invaders was to stop the sources of income from his industries by which Father Duncan supported his school and mission.

During all these years of warfare conducted by the forces of destruction against this saint of God, the Bureau of Education did not overlook that, in the science of war, the crippling and seizing of sources of revenue is a means of destroying the resisting power of Christian missions as well as that of nations.

After the Bureau had gained a foothold in Metlakahtla, by renting the upper floor of a native building, and closing other schools elsewhere in Alaska to supply the equipment, Beattie wrote the following to the Commission of Education on March 3, 1915:

It is upon the industries that the very life of the town of Metlakahtla depends-not on the schools

"WATCHFUL WAITING"

When the strategy of the campaign of the invaders was being planned in its earlier stages, and 17 years before Edward Marsden, the crafty Indian, rode into Metlakahtla in a "wooden horse", flying

the ensign of the Commission of Education, and drawn by agents of the Bureau and their confederates, the plan of attack was one of watchful waiting until "Mr. Duncan dies."

This policy of watchful waiting was at first accepted by Marsden, as shown by a letter from him to Dr. Jackson, written December 13, 1904, in which he stated, "I do not wish to be quoted."

From this letter of Marsden to Dr. Sheldon Jackson the following is quoted:

The time is not yet ripe for you or any other one to step into that community [Metlakahtla] and carry on the school work such as they ask for. They have deliberately chosen to be under Mr. Duncan's guidance, and they must be patient and courageous while Mr. Duncan is living

After this intriguing Indian at Saxman, like a bird of prey upon a rock, had watched his victim for years, and, with his confederates, waited in vain for him to die and thus open the way for the invasion of Metlakahtla without resistance, physicians were sent to visit Father Duncan, to spy on his state of health, and to report on his life expectancy.

On August 5, 1914, William G. Beattie, superintendent of schools of the southeastern district of Alaska, reported the following to P. P. Claxton, Commissioner of Education:

* In fact, my views coincide with those expressed in the letter of the Secretary referred to above, with the exception of this statement: "He (Mr. Duncan) cannot in the nature of things live many more years.' I can see no reason why Mr. Duncan may not live to be a hundred years old. The physician who visited Mr. Duncan * * saw no reason why Mr. Duncan would not

*

live for 15 or 20 years more.

"THE TIME TO ACT IS AT HAND"

On November 30, 1914, a few months after Beattie had reported that Father Duncan was not likely to die at any early date, W. T. Lopp, superintendent of education of natives of Alaska, notified P. P. Claxton, Commissioner of Education:

I think the time to act is at hand.

*

In this letter Lopp also reported:

* With Duncan out of the way, or out of possession of these plants, I believe the leaders [Marsden and his clique] of these people, together with Jones, Beattie, and myself, with your counsel, can work out a successful plan for the industrial redemption of these people.

It was not a long step from the unlawful invasion of the grounds of a Christian mission and seizure of a site for the Government school, to the confiscation of Father Duncan's sawmill to provide lumber for the building.

*

In this letter to Claxton, Lopp further stated:

* As the agent for the Metlakahtla people we should take charge of the mill at once * * *. Lumber is needed by them and by us.

Here began a series of outrages and acts of frightfulness, committed under the Bureau of Education, which will not only horrify the American people but shock the conscience of the civilized world.

"HE SHOULD BE COERCED INTO LEAVING"

On July 6, 1914, W. G. Beattie, superintendent of schools of the southeastern district of Alaska, reported to the Secretary of the Interior:

Mr. Duncan is 83 years of age. * * * I had hoped, as have many of his friends, that he could be persuaded to leave Metlakahtla. I doubt if that will ever be possible. However, I have, though reluctantly, come to the conclusion that if he will not be persuaded he should be coerced into leaving

*

The fact is that persistent attempts were made to keep Father Duncan's friends away from Annette Islands so that this venerable man could be crushed without interference; and Father Duncan died with but few of his host of friends at all aware of the outrageous attacks that had been made upon him.

On November 18, 1914, Charles D. Jones, principal of the Government school at Metlakahtla, wrote the following to W. T. Lopp, superintendent of education of natives of Alaska:

I believe the Government could and should immediately force the old gentleman to terms-to the place where he will accept our terms Therefore I would strongly recommend that not only this warehouse on the dock be officially turned over to the natives at the earliest possible date but that the cannery, sawmill, store, old schoolhouse, girls' home, old town hall, etc., all be transferred to the immediate use of the natives and thus wholly eliminate Mr. Duncan's claim to them

* *

ATTEMPT TO MAKE FATHER DUNCAN A BUREAU AGENT

What were the terms offered by the Bureau of Education for the transfer of control of this famous mission for native people, which was recognized throughout the world as a model?

Right here, the Bureau of Education discredits every attack and every charge of wrongdoing it made against Father Duncan, by recognizing the great value of his services and offering to place him on the public pay roll if he would surrender his mission and permit his affairs at Metlakahtla to be run in the name of the Bureau of Education.

The following is quoted from a letter from the Commissioner of Education to W. T. Lopp, superintendent of education of natives of Alaska, dated June 23, 1914:

I strongly incline to the latter course, if it is possible to win over Mr. Duncan, believing that his cooperation would be of value in directing the industrial development of the community and in furthering its moral and spiritual welfare. In that event I would be willing to recommend to the Secretary Mr. Duncan's appointment at $1,500 or at such other salary as might be determined upon **

The following is quoted from a letter from W. G. Beattie, superintendent of schools of the southeastern district of Alaska, to W. T. Lopp, dated July 9, 1914:

I desire to say that if Mr. Duncan would consent freely and in good faith to give such cooperation, I would be glad to make recommendation that Mr. Duncan be appointed under the Bureau of Education as the Commissioner suggests