The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1918-06-19

would cost to pull or blow out
stumps and to put the lands into
condition for farm homes.
And all this should be done upon
O. definite planning basis. We should
think as carefully of each one OF
these projects as George Washing
ton thought OF the planning OF the
city Of Washington. We should know
what 1t will cost to buy these lands
IL they are in private hands. In
short, at the conclusion Of the war
the United States should be able to
say to its returned soldiers. II YOU
wish to go upon a farm, here are
variety OF farms, Of which you may
take your pick, which the govern
ment has prepared against the time
of your returning.
II do not mean by this to carry
the implication that we should do
any other work now than the work
of planning. A very small sum OF
money, put into the hands OF men
of thought, experience, and vision,
will give us a program which will
make us feel entirely confident that
we are not to be submerged, indus
trially or otherwise, by labor which
we will not be able to absorb, or
that we would be in O. condition
WHSTS We "OuAu D4LO" {" Ao~EA " AZ
spect for those who return as heroes
but who will be without means OF
immediate self-support.
"A million or two dollars, II ap-
propriated now, Will put this work
well under way.
It's No Charity.
This plan does not contemplate
anything like charity to the soldier.
He is not to be given a bounty. He Is
not to be made to feel that he is a
dependent. On the contrary, he Is
to continue, in sense, in the SER
vice Of the government. Instead OF
destroying our enemies, he is to de-
velop our resources.
THE work that is to be done, other
than the planning, should be done by
the soldier himself. The dam or the
irrigation project should be built by
him; the canals, the bitches, the
breaking of the land, and the build
ing Of the houses should under
proper direction, he his occupation.
He should be allowed to make his
own home, cared for while he Is do
ing it, and given an interest in the
land, for which he can pay through
a long period of years perhaps thtr-
ty or forty years. .
''This same policy can be carried
out as to the other classes Of land'
so that the soldier on his return
would have an opportunity to make
a home for himself, to build home
with money which we would advance
and which he would repay, and for
the repayment we would have an
abundant security. ..
Homes Should Be Prepared.
1.-THE farms should not be turned
over as the prairies were-unbroken
unfenced, without accommo odatlons
for men or animals. There should be
prepared homes, all Of which can be
constructed by the men themselves
and paid for by them under q system
of simple devising by which modern
methods Of finance will be applied to
their needs.
LAS I have indicated, this is not a
mere Utopdan vision. 1t is, with
slight variations a policy which oth-
er countries are pursuing success
fully. The plan is simple. l Will
undertake to present to the congress
definite projects for the develop
ment Of this country through the
Use of the returned soldier, by which
the United States, lending its credit
may increase its resources and It's
and the happiness OF It's
peopia with q cost to itself OF no
more than the few hundred thousand
dollars that 1t will take to study this
problem through competent men
This work should not be postponed
Cordially and faithfully yours
'FR4ANKLAN K LANE"