Show OTIS REPORTS A Good SJiovrinpT For the Department Depart-ment of the Columbia WASHINGTON Nov 21 General E S Otis commanding the department of the Columbia in his annual report to the war department enters into avery a-very elaborate account of the status of Indians mho have taken up allotments allot-ments of land in severally and also on the subject of proper use of troops in reservations These matters were made prominent in his department during the last year by the legal proceedings pro-ceedings growing out of the arrest of Umatilla Indians by the Indian police and their subsequent release by the Oregon circuit court on the ground that by having taken up land under the allotment act they had thereby become full fledged citizens of the United States A eneiral Otis says that this decision will be reviewed by the state supreme court but if it is upheld the use of troops to quell disturbance among Indians In-dians who hold land under this tenure may be illegal He holds that the legitimate use of troops in such cases must be understood by army officers as these difficulties threaten to arise Xrequently and the allotment acts are difficult to construe He points out the grave danger involved of a conflict of state and national jua tivm s evidence for the iieed of a carefully considered decision on this point With the exception of this incident the year has been unusually quiet in the department General Otis renews his recomimenidatlon of last year that the garrisons at Fort Spokane and Fort Sherman be concentrated 5n or near Spokane and the posts be abandoned Also that Fort Townsend be given up and its garrison be moved to Magnolia Mag-nolia Blutf near Seattle He speaks of the necessity of a garrison on Puget sound ant of strong defensive works on Marrowstone Point assisted by fortifications at Admiralty Head and the Bluffs in the rear of Point Wilson also fortifications at Double and Foul Weather Bluffs and Tala Point General Otis says that the Indian 1 population have given no trouble during dur-ing the year and asks that the department de-partment authOize him o send an interpreter in-terpreter and surveyor among the 1 Columbia river bands to securely settle set-tle them on unencumbered lamds I I I |