The Washington times., 1915-04-25

Europe's war is to be hitched to the
campaign for passage of conservation
legislation I'm this country.
That Is the program of the people
who are already formulating plans for
the legislative program of next winter.
President Wilson has given his conf
dantes assurance that he is deeply in
terested and ready to get behind the
series of conservation measures that
failed in the last session. and they are
| to be pushed from the beginning 1f the
coming session.
IT the forefront of the list will be
| placed a measure which will. Ii is
claimed. restore this country's primacy
among the meat-producing and export
| ing nations of the world.
1t is the leasing measure for handling
| the 800. 100000 acres of Government
owned range in the West. Through this
bill IT Is proposed to increase immensely
the country's capacity for producing
the feed lots of the middle West and
increase the national output Of meats.
Europe Losing Its Livestock.
Reports from Europe have shown that
the destruction of livestock due 20 the
war is simply beyond all present realiza-
ton. All the countries have been chary
about emitting statistical information
concerning 1t, because they are trying
to maintain an air Of calm and conf
dence about their food supplies.
But the truth is getting out; and II
is. in brief, that Europe will be i'm
| poverished in regard to livestock sup
plies sooner than in almost any Other
economic direction.
Two chief results arc already begin
ming to be perceived. One and the
| l.,l
meat from the United States as never
! before.
The other Is that the United state!
will change places with Europe in re
gard to supplying the finest breeding
stock. The magnificent breeding stocl
OF Holland, Belgium, Great Britain
France. cattle and horses alike. are
being sacrificed to the war. and 1t i!
freely predicted that after the wal
| American breeders will be called upor
to export fine animals in large mum
bers to countries from which. in thu
past. they have been wont to import
Europe Is the greatest livestock coun
try in the world, taken as whole
those OF the United States. OF Soutl
America, or any other OF what ar
commonly thought of as the stock
raising regions. But Europe. becaus
OF Its immense population. still has
deficiency that must be made UP b.
importations. and so it's place as
stock growing continent is not right
understood.
Americas Opportunity Great.
The greatest of the stock-raising ter
ritories are involved in the war. The
are killing off first their horses: de
| stroying them in battle and the deadl
transport service. and also making
Impossible to raise the annual Gro
, OF colts. Thus the loss Is really
double one.
The meat animals are going for foo
to the armies. and the numbers of ther
, that may be maintained by farmer
. are being restricted throughout Ger
many because the production of mea
makes so heavy a drain on the cereal
and potatoes OF the country. AS a re
suit. German farmers are being rt
uuircd to adopt the deliberate polio
of raising fewer hogs and cattle.
Out of the study of this complex
: causes has come realization that tn
. United States confronts the create!
opportunity in Its history to make /
self the headquarters of the world
industry of producing both meat catt
and blooded stock of all kinds. 1t
: with reference to the demand for mes
stock that the conservation campaig
Is being renewed
o For a long time the capacity of tt
Western ranges for producing ar