Weekly journal-miner., 1917-10-31
General Land Office,
 Washington. D. C

Land Offices:
 Sirs; The act of July 2S, 1917, (Pub-
 lie, No. 52), provides:
 That any settler upon the public
 lands of the United States. or any
 entryman whose application has been
 allowed, or any person who has made
 application for public lands which
 thereafter may be allowed under the homestead laws, who, after such set
 tlemen, entry, or application, enlists
 or IS actually engaged in the military
 or naval service of the United States
 as a private soldier, officer, seaman.
 marine, national guardsman. or mem
 Der of any other organization for of
 fensc or defense authorized by con gross during any war in which the | United States may be engaged, shall
 Tn the administration of the home
 stead laws, have his services therein
 construed to be equivalent to all in tents and purposes to residence and cultivation for the same length of time upon the tract entered or settled upon: and hereafter no contest shall
 be initiated on the ground of aban-
 donment, nor allegation of abandon
 ment sustained against any such set 1 tier, cntryman, or person unless 1t shall be alleged in the preliminary af- iidavit or affidavits of contest and
 proved at the hearing in cases herein
 after initiated that the alleged ab-
 Scncc from the land was not due to
 his employment in such military or
 naval service: that if nc shall be dis
 charged on account of wounds re-
 ceiyed or disability incurred in the
 line of duty, then the term of his en-
 listmcnt shall be deducted from the
 required length of residence, without
 reference to the time of actual ser vice: Provided, that no patent shall issue to any homestead settler who has not resided upon, improved, and cultivated his homestead for period of at least one year.
 Sec ? That any settler upon the public lands of the United States. or any cntryman whose application has been allowed, or any person who has made application for public lands which thereafter may be allowed un- der the homestead laws, who dies while actually engaged in the military or naval service of the United States, as c private soldier, officer, seaman, marine, national guardsman. or mem. Der of any other organization for of- fcnsc or defense authorized by con gross during any war in which the United States may be engaged, then his widow, if unmarried, or in case of her death or marriage, his minor or phan children, or his or their legal representatives, may proceed forth l with 10 make final proof upon such entry or application thereafter allow ed, and shall be entitled to receive . government patent for such land; and that the death of such soldier while so engaged m the service of the Unit cd States shall, in the administration of the homestead laws, be construed to be equivalent 10 a performance of all requirements as to residence and upon such homestead
 ,. The present war began, as to the United States, April 6, 1917. The special privileges given by the act accrue, as to each homestead claim ant, on that date ii he was already in Inc United States service: otherwise from the time, after that date. when nc enlisted or shall enlist in the United States army, navy, or marine corps. or when, as member of any other organization for offcnsc or dc cnsc authorized by congress, Inc was r1,,n I., ,,,,,eta-o1 r,,fn nT- nncy1pe1 n the military or naval service of the United States. The benefits of the ! lct do not extend to any persons not ngagcd in the service for offenSc or | Iefensc as set forth therein. In these { instructions the word soldier will be l scd 10 indicate any person coming ! within the purvicw of the act. [
 }. The benefits of the act arc con | erred upon a person who, before go- C 1g into the service, had actually a 1adc homestead entry, had effected l nd maintained a valid settlement up- { n tract properly subject to entry C V him. or had filled an allowable ap- L lication for the land This last in il ludcs one who had filed a petition Il pr designation under the enlarged q omcstcad act or the stock-raising omcstcad law, accompanied by an n pplication to enter, provided hlS en- r " be allowed pursuant to dcslgna- r, on made while the war lasts. and [, rcdit will be given for the service oi b 1ch soldier had after the date of the ti esiguation. The act does not protect W nv entry from cancellation on ao- VI punt of defaults of the homcSteadcr Ii rcurring before hc went into the S' twice. si 1. A soldier is entitled to credit on Ic residence and cultivation prcscrib- p' by the homestead law for the C me of his service during the war; tc 1t one whose discharge iS on account st wounds received or disability in SC lrrcd in ,hc line of duty IS entitled ol
 credit for inc entire term of his en- b, without reference to the ca me of actual service. However. the ,mcstcadcr will be required to show
 least ono years residence and Cul-. ration in connection with his entry,