The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1917-10-10
sam TO
PROTECT RIGHTS
OF CLAIM men
Soldiers To Receive Credit
For Time In Service
Of Country
WIFE MAY
MAKE ENTRY
Final Proof May Be Made
While Man Is In
Service

Washington, Oct. 10.-Settlers on
the public lands who enter the arm.
ed service of the United States, will
not lose their homestead rights. They
are protected by an act passed July
%, under instructions recently issued
by the commissioner of the general
land office to the land officers
throughout the public land states.
The present war began, as to the
United States, April 6, 1917" the
commissioner says. THE special
privileges given by that act accrue,
as to each homestead claimant, on
that date il he was already in the
United States service. Otherwise they
accrue from the time he enters the
service"
Among those included in the bene.
fits of the act are entrymen, not only
of homesteads, but those who have
filed petitions for designation under
the enlarged homestead act and the
stock raising homestead law.
THE act does not protect any
entry from cancellation on account OF
defaults of the entryman occurring
before he went into the service" is
the special instruction given by the
commissioner
Get Credit for War Service.
Among the benefits conferred by
the act is credit for time of service
during the war. A soldier, wounded,
however, is entitled to credit for the
entire time of his enlistment. The
entryman, however, will be required
to show at least one years residence
and cultivation in connection with
his entry. OF that year, however, he
is entitled to the flve months leave
of absence accorded other entry
men.
If the soldier dies while in the
service, his widow, If unmarried, may
at once submit proof on his entry. II
there is no widow, or she is remar-
ried, his minor children may make
proof through their guardian. IL the
widow has remarked and the chill
dren are not minors, proof may be
submitted by the heirs in general, or
by his devisees, as the case may
be.
If the soldier has been a resident
on public land, and has not made
entry, 1t may be made by the wicow
or children, as prescribed in, the case
of a dead soldier, who made entry
tefCre going into the service.
The commissioners makes ii plain
that mo contest will be allowed on
the ground OF abandonment, unless
such abandonment uI absence was
rot due to military or naval serv-
ice"
Another important Part of. the in
stIuctions give the solG.ers an op-
Dortunity to submit their final proof
while in the services.
Naturalized Soldiers Cared For.
9 The entryman may give his own
testimony before an officer authoriz-
ed to administer oaths and having an
official seal at the place where he is
stationed" the instructions say But
the testimony Of his witnesses must
be taken within the proper county,
and publication and posting of notice
must be duly made"
These instructions also apply 70
foreign born soldiers who have taken
out their first naturalization papers.
Congress has failed to provide a
method by which the soldier can be
naturalized at a place other than his
legal residence, but ii Is provided in
the soldiers civil rights bill, and also
in the bill presented by Sen. William
M. Calder OF New York pFoviding for
of aliens within 80
days. 1t is probable that the civil
rights bill will be enacted into law
early in the session beginning in
December. One step toward factli-
tating the making of proof has been
taken by the house in the passage
of a bin permitting the soldiers COM
manding officer to take the evidences.
The naturalization bureau Of the
of labor has indicated a
to cooperate, and has
advised soldier entrymen who have
taken out their first papers that
notice of service served on the clerk
OF the court in the county where the
final citizenship proof is to be sub
mitted will be sufficient to cause a
Of the hearings until the
soldier is relieved from service and
returns to his home.