The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1918-12-06


cleared for the pillow and which lie
tered all over the Union. And there
are nearly S0,O0O,000 acres of land
that lie under swamps or subject to
periodical overflow or too wet for
anything but grazing which it is per-
fectly feasible to drain and protect
and redeem
THE Congress can at once direct
thousands of the returning soldiers to
the reclamation of the arid lands
which it has already undertaken, If it
will but enlarge the plans and the ap-
preparations which it has entrusted to
the Department of the Interior 1t is
possible in dealing with our unused
land to effect great rural and agri-
cultural development which will af-
ford the best sort of opportunity to
men who want to help themselves and
the Secretary of the Interior has
thought the possible methods out in
way which is worthy of your most
friendly attention.
Pleads for Belgian Aid.
81 have spoken of the control which
must yet for while, perhaps for a
long while, be exercised over ship
ping because of the priority of service
to which our forces overseas are enti-
tied and which should also be accord
ed the shipments which are to save
recently liberated peoples from star.
walton and many devastated regions
from permanent ruin
May / not say special word
about the needs of Belgium and North
ern France? No sums of money paid
by way Of indemnity will serve of
themselves to save them from hope
less disadvantage for years to come.
Something more must be done than
merely find the money. If they had
money and raw materials in abund-
ance tomorrow they could not resume
their place in the industry of the
world tomorrow-the very important
place they held before the flame of
war swept across them. Many of their
factories are RACED to the ground.
Much of their machinery is de.
stroyed or has been taken away Their
people are scattered and many of their
best workmen are dead. Their mar
kets will be taken by others if they
are not in special way assisted to re-
build their factories and replace their
lost instruments of manufacture. They
should not be left to the vicissitedes
of the sharp competition for materials
and for industrial facilities which is
now to set in.
II hope therefore that the Congress
will not be unwilling, if it should be.
come necessary, to grant to some such
agency as the War Trade board the
right to establish priorities of export
and supply for the benefit of these
people whom we have been so happy
to assist in saving from the German
terror and whom we must not now
thoughtlessly leave to shift for them
selves in pitiless competitive mar
ket.
Will Keep Close Touch.
Il shall be in close touch with you
and with affairs on this side the wa.
ter, and you will know all that | do
At my request, the French and Eng
lish governments have absolutely re
moved the censorship of cabled news
which until within a fortnight they
had maintained and there is now nc
censorship whatever exercised at this
end except upon attempted trade com
munications with enemy countries. II
has been necessary to keep an opeI
wire constantly available between
Paris and the Department of State
and another between Frence and the
Department of War.
/ I'm order that this might be done
with the least possible interference
with the other uses of the cables, have
temporarily taken over the control OF
both cables in order that they may be
used as single system. l did so at
the advice of the most experienced
cable officials and l hope that the re-
suits will justify my hope that the
news of the next few months may pass
with the utmost freedom, and with the
least possible delay from each side OF
tue sea 10 Ine Otner.
Asks Aid of Congress.
May 1 not hope, gentlemen OF the
| Congress, that in the delicate tasks
shall have to perform on the other
side of the sea, in my efforts truly and
faithfully to interpret the principles
| and purposes of the country we love-
/ may have the encouragement and
the added strength of your united sup
port? I realize the magnitude and diff
| ficulty of the duty l am undertaking
/ am poignantly aware of its grave re
sponsibilities. / am the servant of the
nation. can have no private thsught
or purpose of my own in performing
such an errand.
81 go to give the best that is in me
| to the common settlements which
must now assist in arriving at in con
ference with the other working heads
of the associated governments. / shall
not be inaccessible. The cables and
the wireless will render me available
for any counsel or service you may de
sire of me, and / shall be happy in
the. thought that / am constantly in
touch with the weighty matters OF do
nestle policy with which we shall
have to deal. shall make my absence
as brief as possible and shall hope to
return with the happy assurance that
it has been possible to translate into
action the great ideals for which
America has striven."