Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-08-23
MACEDONIA MAY BECOME
 GRANENY OF BALKANS
Reclaiming the Uncultivated Areas After the War Is Big Prob
 lem at Hand.

Washington, Aug. 23 (By The Asso- ciated Press. )-Macedonia, as a result Of the war, may become the granary of the Balkans as it was in antiquity Only a part of it's soil has been cul- tivated in modern times, and that with very rudimentary means.
 The possibility of retaining the uncultivated areas after the war and utilizing them for growing wheat and other cereals has attracted the atten- tion of experts who have gone there with the Allied armies, say Depart ment of Commerce advices from Sal oniki, Greece. The French, especially are interested.
 Many of the soldiers there,' of all nationalities represented plan to es- tablish themselves there and take up agriculture after the war, reports George Horton, American consul gen. eral at Saloniki. The soldiers have seen how rich is the soil and that wonderful results it produces with in-
 adequate means.
 European immigration, it is assert ed, should not be encouraged until three problems have been solved. These are how to combat the marsh fever, how to ameliorate the condi- tions of the inhabitants and better their homes, and sanitary surround ings and to introduce American farm machinery and other saving devices.
 Marsh fever IS regarded as having done as much toward devastating the country as years of war. Fortunately, the country, which will be benefited in many ways by the presence of the Allied armies, will also have the bene- fit of efforts now being made to com bat the fever. A durable and efficient organization, whose sole duty will be to solve definitely this problem, is ex- pected to be the outgrowth of army organization.
 For centuries the Macedonians have lived amid insanitary conditions. Am elioration of this condition must come before the real development of the country. The people have labor ed with the most primitive tools and have rarely been sure of enjoying the fruits of their toll. Yet they must provide the main body of laborers for the cultivation and redemption of Macedonia, because they are insured to climate conditions.
 Motor and tractor implements, mak- ino labor easier in the tyring climate also are necessary because they would solve to a large extent the question of obtaining sufficient number of workers. American tractor imple- ments are already being used success fully by the British and French arm ies, and recently an American Red Cross detachment arrived here with the purpose of cultivating the ex- tensive plains south of Monastir. American farm-implements having been introduced, should play in inn portant part in the redemption of Macedonia.
 Water power is also waiting devel- opment. MT. Horton says the principal grain merchants report that the an nual crop of cereals of the three vil- -layets or provinces of Monastir, Kos sove and Saloniki, in the years pre- ceeding 1890, was 5OO,O0O to 7OO,OOO tons. Since then the yield has decreas- ed to 100000 tons, principally because of insecure conditions and emigration of workers.
 With the modern methods at work and with some plains drained, it is es- timated that region should yield at least 1,5OO,O00 tons of grain, and with this done, Macedonia would turn back to it's history and again be "the gran ary of the Balkans"