The patriot. (Glenmora, La.) 1918-1955, 1918-10-18


preparation of plans for providing opportunity
for these men. And because his department mas
handled similar problems in the past ne mas
made it his duty to bring the matter to the at
tention of the president and congress. He points
out that every country has found itself race 10
face with this problem at the close OF great
war. From Rome under Caesar to France unuer
Napoleon down even to our own Civil war. the
problem arose as to what could be done with the
soldiers mustered out of military service.
At the close of the Civil war America faced
somewhat similar situation. But fortunately al
that time the public domain offered opportunity
to the home-returning soldiers. The great part
the veterans of that war played IN developing
the West is one of our epics. The homestead
law had been signed by President Lincoln In the
second year of the war, so that out of our wealth
in lands we had farms to offer the military vet
erans It was also the of transcontinental
railway construction. It was likewise the period
of rapid yet broad and full, development of towns
and communities and states.
To the great number of returning soldiers IN
the present war land will undoubtedly offer the
great and fundamental opportunity. Inc eA-
perience of wars points out the lesson that our
service men, because Of army life with its open
ness and activity will largely seek out OF doors
vocatlons and occupations
This fact Is accepted by the allied European
nations That is why their programs and poll
cies of relocating and readjustment emphasize
the opportunities on the land for the returning
soldier. The question then Is, what land can
be made available for farm homes for our SOL
diersyr j
We have not the bountlful public domains OF
the sixties and seventies. In literal sense, for
the use of it on generous scale for soldier farm
homes as In the sixties, the public domain is
gone. The ofhcial figures at the end OF the fiscal
year, June 80. 1917. show that we have unappro-
printed land in the continental United States
to the amount Of 230,657,755 acres. 1t is safe to
gay that not one-half of this land viii ever
prove to be cultivable in any sense. So we have
no land In any way comparable to that In the
public domain when Appomattox came-and men
urned Westward with army rife and roll blan-
ket--to begin life anew.
while we do not have that matchless public
domain of 65 we do have millions of acres of I'M
developed lands In the Northwest, lake states
and South, and also swamp lands In the middle
West and South, which can be made available
through the proper development Much of this
land can be made suitable for farm homes If
properly handled
But it will require that each type Of land be
dealt with in its own particular fashion The
arid lands will require water, the cut-over land
viii require clearing and the swamp land must
be trained. Without any OF these aids they
main largely No Mans Land The solution Of
these prODlcliS - uo ifSW LAhS. III Ic uauiAKaDtc
achievement Of the reclamation service In reca-
nation and drainage we have abundant proof
OF what can be done.
Looking toward the construction Of additional
nroiecfe Secretary Lane announces that plans
and investigations have been under way for some
Anne A survey and study has been in. the course
~ consurnmation by the reclamation service on
the grent Colorado BASIN That project, undoubt-
edly. will appeal to the new spirit Of America. It
yronId mean the conquest Of an empire In the
southwest 1t is believed that more than 5000
600 acres Of arid land could be reclaimed by the
completion of the upper and lower Colorado basin
projects.
RI has been officially estimated that more than
1kO0OOoo acres Of irrigable land now remain In
tfa governments hands. This Is the great re-
;naining storehouse of government land for recla-
ra.ion. Under what policy and program millions
~ these acres could be reclaimed for future farms
and homes remains for legislation to determine.
The amount of swamp and cut-over lands In
ma United States available for farming is extern
live Just how much there Is has never been de-
termined with any degree OF accuracy. Practical-
~ ali of IL has passed into private ownership.
For fI,at reason. In considering ity use. It would
ba necessary to work out policy between the
,,r,vafe owners and the government unless the
Iand was purchased. It has been estimated that
tsp tofal area OF swamp and overfiowed lands In
the United States Is between 70.0OO0O0 and 3d.
100000 acres. or this amount about 600O0'000