Douglas Island news., 1918-07-05
SOLDIERS TO BE WELL CARED FOR WHEN BIG
 WAR IS CONCLUDED

NH"TN'II |N |.N| I..'.''' '..'''. '" fbor.tcs publication ot Che follow iuE
 pErAUTNENT OF THE INTERIOR
 Nv Dear Mr. President. ug.icy, Che umc hos come when we shout, give thought to tbc preparation o plans for providing opportunity ioI our soldiers returning from che war Because tbIs department bas ham died similar problems ] consider |. my duty to bring th.s matter Go thJ attention o- yourself and congress
 Every country has found itself face Go facc with tbIs situation at Che close of great war From Bomo urdg- Caesar t0 France under Na- pole1a down even Co our own Civil War trc problem arose as lo what rarrI be done vItb Che soldiers Co bc mustered ou- uf military service.
 At close of the Civil War
 tf Che .o.. O. Che Cvu War; America a.et somewhat similar situation uu. fortunately at chat umc Che prbU. domain oGercI op- portuuty to tEe bumergu-uue sole dicrs Tt. erat part Che veterans played u Ie.eurHe Che West Is one of uur en..s The homestead law had boon ..-r.I by Lincoln m thc second year o. rH. war; so tha- out of our vuI.H %. lands we had farms t1 offer Che million ot yctgr- ans If was also Che era ol trans cout.u.ru. railway construction. 10 was ukcNs. period Ur rapid yet broad and mL development of towns and communities and states
 Tu Che great number ol returning soldiers Che land win offer che great and fundamental opportunity Tho experience of wars points ont thc lesson tr1t ou- service men. be- cause of army ufc. VIrh Its oneurCs and activity. win largely seek out- ofdoors yr.auous and occupations This fact .s accepted by Che allied European nations That s why their programs and policies or relocating and reaIuem.rf emphasize Che or- portuuIucs or tre land for Che TO- turning soldier TH. question chen is. "Wh1t land rHu he mad. ay1i'- able for farm homes for our soI- dicrsr"
 Public Lands Uuoccupied Now
 We dr mot Hase tHe h1uuu nun- lie domain oE tu. sixties and seyeu- ties. In literal s.usc. for tEc us. of it ou a generous raI. for soldier farm homes as m Che sixties. "fbe public domain is gone" The of- HciaI figures at tbc end of Che fiscal year. June 8O. l9l7. show thi Wo have uuaprropr.1tcI land iu Che cou- uncutaI United States to Che amount of e30C51.755 acres. It is safe to say that not oue-haIf of this land win ever prove t1 be eu'tiv8hic In any sense. SD we have un land iu any way comparable t1 that Iu tbo public domain when AppomattoN came and men turned westward with army riHc and "r0u blanket" fo bc- sin Iifc anew. While we do mot have that mltehIcss public domain 0f 'f5 we do have millions 0f acres of uu- developed lands chat can bc made available for our homecoming sole dicrs We have arid lands U tho West. curoycr lands in Che North. west. Lake States and South; and also swamp lands In thc Middle West and South which can be made available through che proper dcyoI- opmcut Much of th.s land can bc lnad, suitable for farm homes if properly handled. But it win re- ure ,hat each type of land be dealt with u Its own particular fashion. The arid land win require water Che cut-oycr land win require clearing. and Che swamp land must be drained. Without any of these aids they remain largely "No mans land" The solution ol these prob- Icms is no new thing m Che ad- mirabIc achievement of Che Rcclom- ouon Service in reclamation and drainage we hayc abundant proof of what can bc done
 The Reclamation Service
 Looking toward che construction of additional projects. ! ann glad c, pay that plans and investigation. have been under way for some time A survey and study has been in th, course of cousummation by Che Rc cIamauou Service on Che great Col orado Basin That great project. believe. vim appeal to Che new spirit of America. 10 would mean Che con quest ot am empire u thc South west ( Is believed that moro char 3.00O.oOO acres of arid land could be reclaimed by Che completion o Che upper and lower Colorado Basin projects.
 % has been officially estimated that more than I5.00o.o0O acres o lrrigablc land now remain In thO governments hands This 's th, great remaining storehouso of gov crnment land for reclamation Uu