Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-24
SUGGESTS SOUTHERN
BUREAU IN WASHINGTON
RicIin,ondcr Serving With English
Army Writes of Conditions
After War.
MANY SOLDIERS TO EMIGRATE
Colonies Have Large Displays OF
Fruits and Produce To Attract de-
sirablc People To Take Up Unused
Land All Over World.

The establishing by the southern
states. acting in concert. Of colonial
ton bureaus in London. to attract de-
Sirable Immigrants at the clos" of the
war. is urged I'm n letter received yes
t"rday by The Times-Dispatch from
James II. Drake. Jr. of this city, now
an officer in tho Rritih army. Mr..
Drake was in Richmond several
months ago 10 rccuperatc from an III
ness contracted While lighting on the
Western front. returning. after q short
stay here. to England.
The letter. written from Winnall
Down Camp, Winchester. England. fol-
lows:
"It is a recognized fact in England,
both among civilians and IN tho army.
that when this war is over and the
troops are mustered out. the greatest
wave OF emigration ever known Will
set forth. There are many forces at
work which will cause this.
The 'Totnmie' whose thoughts Of
Canada OR Australia or the United
States. were generally connected with
date lines in newspapers. has seen
thcse men in their khaki. has talked
to them Of their countries. and. more
often than not. has resolved TO sec for
himself. Added TO this thousands have
come back to England from every spot
on earth and gone into the English
and Scotch regiments. These. TOO. are
atoms OF yeast. Then. too. these men.
many Of whom had never been further
aneld than a bank holiday would al
low, and who had always known what
bed they would occupy at might. have
learned that a man with an overcoat.
stout shoes and haVersack. can ira vel
TO the end OF the earth. and his timid-
ity or inertia or whatever YOU wish
to call II. is gone.
ALI. COLONIES HAVE
nc AGENCIES ~ LONDON
The fact OF this coming exodus is
constantly brought TO nina while talk
ing with them. for frequently they will
express an adherence Of going back
TO their old jobs-'I'm going to hav. a
bit OF my own. il their usual ending
Recognizing all this. the British gov
has had a commission at work
on the subject. with the laudablc OBJ
ject in view OF Keeping its subjects
under the flag Sir II. Rider Haggard
has visited al; the principal colonies
and discussed and arrange al matters
with them.
All colonies have agencies in Lon
don-not mere diplomatic affairs. but
great buildings with display windows
on prominent streets. and before these
windows stand crowds seemingly deep
~ interested in the displays Of fruits.
grains and products Of the forest and
Of fisheries. on hand within are COM
petent and courteous representatives TO
explain whatever needs explanation
and distribute literature.
1T has often occurred to me that
while our Southern States could not
hope to compete with some OF the
newer colonies in the free diSiribu-
ton OF land, nevertheless in all Of
them there is land SO cheap that the
cost OF il would hardly be counted
AS against the advantages over free
land in the bush OF course no one
state would feel inclined TO make the
expenditure necessary to keep up such
a place as the larger ~oIonies main
tain. but would il not be feasible for
several OF them, all of the Southern
or southeastern States. to do so: If
II were done. we could secure some
Of The cream OF the best emig rants
that ever left these isIands-the best
since Virginia VAS settled. certainly
for the movement Will include officers
and men.
III the Southern Railway. which mas
an upstairs place in Whitehall. would
take "a g~round-ioor place in the same
nciGhborhood and rent spaces to. or
share expenses with. states through
which IL runs. the object could lie at
ta!ncd.'