The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1918-11-08
Editorial and Magazine Page of

WYE HAVE been 50 absorbed ia the huge Job
w Of winning this war that we have almost
wholly overlooked the fact that the war
must AT some time end. and that after its -cud there
would be- problems of reimbursement NJ home quite
as large as the problems of war: though lacking
the horror of bloodshed and the keen stimalant Of
battle.
Now, as II a curtain had been run down upon
a horrld drama. the glad news from Europe tells
ITS that the war is over. We have come suddenly
upon the problems OF peace. Those problems are
mere, crying for action. We cannot cyade them on
II we do undertake 10 cyade them. we must inevi-
tablN suffer toe consequences of evasion.
Our apparent inability to understand the nee.
esSlty Tor atter-war preparation has been confined
20 no class of people and 10 no state or section. Il
has been national. The inability-of the present con-
grcss and administration 10 understand the neccs-
Slty Tor atter-war planning that included the whole
nation u IT'S confidence. was one of the certain
causes of democratic defeat last Tuesday. The pco-
pie, awakened suddenly 10 the nearness of peace,
looked for read made plans for the future. There
were no plans. They were startled and they turned
on the government that had neglected to prepare.
That was only one Of the Influences operating in
The election campaign; but It was Il powerful one.
Here in New Mexico we have our aftcr.war
problems. We have been just as Indifferent To them
as the rest of the nation. We have been so absorbed
ln war work that there has been neither time nor
inclination for anything else. We. like the nation.
are face 10 face with the necessity for a kind of
"''ioH' TOT Nhl'u We are not prepared.
One general aftcr-war plan has been partially
evolved. This is the land reclamation and land
settlement plan of the Secretary Of the interior,
Franklin X. Lane. There are certain phases of the
general plan evolved 10y Secretary Lane which do
not meet our approval, hut il is nj least a plan that
Is practical and that will solve. to a large extent.
one oi the most pressing of the aftcr-war problems;
that OF ~diSposing OF the surplus of man power that
VIII be released from military service.
Through the activity of the state engineer and
Governor Lindsey, the Rio Grandc drainage plan
mas been included in the general reclamation
scheme outlined by Mr.. Lanes direction. Tint is
me extent OF our after-war planning. II is of vast
Importance 10 a large section of the state. but even
mat VIII not materialize unless we get behind the
governor and the state engineer and aid in securing
definite action upon the project. 1t is but ono of a
dozen projects of the same general character which
are available in New Mexico and which can be
worked out by the federal government and the
federal government alone. Now is the time. and
To-Day Is the day 10 begin action looking to that end.
Governor Lindsey has shown a broad and very
practical conception of the purposes OF the state
Council of Defense and of the funds placed M the
disposal OF that organization. The work of The conn
en- mas been effective in most Of the projects il has
undertaken. Up 10 this time. however. these have
been wholly devoted To win.thc-war work They
nave NOT been concerned with the aftcr-war prob
lem; with thar problem Hoover has put lsfore rs