Carlisle Indian School Superintendent John Francis Jr. writes to the Commissioner of the Indian Affairs to share an idea he has in which World War I orphans from France and Belgium could be brought to the school and sent on outing. Francis argues that many of his students do not want to go to farms on outing anymore because manufacturing pays higher wages, but he still has a well-developed group of farms and homes that could use assistance and labor. Meanwhile, many of these orphans have no opportunity, so they could be sent to the school to stay for a brief time and then be sent on outing, where they will learn skills and have a place to live. Francis makes it clear that he does not want to educate any of the European orphans at the school though.
Commissioner of Indian Affairs Cato Sells praises Francis for his "patriotic and humanitarian" plan but ultimately decides that the plan would be too costly, too complicated, and too risky to undertake.
