The Robesonian., 1918-12-16
HOMES FOR SOLDIERS.
Secretary Lane Would Develop Idle
Lands By Parceling Them Among
Soldiers-Uncie Sam Should Help
Soldiers to Clear and Drain Lands.

SOlolers-C ncie Sam Should Help
Soldiers to Clear and Drain Lands.
Wilmington Star.
a large and representative vii
nlngton audience received with svrn-
pathy and applause Hon Franklin 4.
Lanes presentation of his wonder
-dI scheme to settle returning soldiers
C2 the unoccupled but fertile lands of
the nation, IN the Royal theatre last
evening.
The big Secretary Of the interior,
who arrived from Washington yester-
DAY morning and left the train with
his party at Pender county station,
was taken for q trip through Pen
der's finest farms, and brought on to
New Hanover during the afternoon.
Ihls morning he will go to Bolton,
Columbus county, 70 see the marvel
Gus developments in reclamation
work. and this evening will continue
to Charleston. His Southern trip is
one of inspection Of the cut-over lands
Of the coastal plain, and ne is ga,.,-
erlne first hand information concern
ing these, with view of incorpor-
at1ng them IN his settlement pans.
He proposed last night, IN brief, to
develop these idle acres by parcel
ing them among the soldiers, Just IS
has been done after other wars
when, however, there was great pub
lie domain to give them, which now
is practically exhausted. He would
receive such idle lands as States and
individuals or corporations will give
the government for the purpose, or
such lands as the government can buy
at low figure and advance the SOL
dlers the funds necessary to clear
and prepare the lands, build houses
and equip farms for business, giving
them 80 or 40 years in which to re-
pay the government the money loaned.
These boys of ours in France, he
sand, have seen things that have
aged thenl-thjngs that have never
been witnessed by other men. They
have seen homes destroyed, homeless
people, orphaned children; and IN be
tween the lines Of the letters they send
back they have put home, home,
home" They have seen brute force
Ilntranlueled by law; have seen what
men will do to other men when un-
| restrained by any regard for law or
morals. These men should not De al
| lowed to become beggerS or be placed
on the bounty Of this nation, save
those who are MANNED. They should
be given an opportunity TO carve out
for themselves homes Of their own
and become Independent citizens.
Mr. Lane told how millions Of acres
are being reclaimed from the desert:
: in the West by irrigation. The ma
ton should not stop at that. Henr!
D Grady years ago pictured New South
4 and it is to further the interests ant
development Of this New South in :
NJ o.
had come among US, and he appeale'
the people of this section, wher
stretch uncounted miles OF fertil
lands, naked of Improvements. "Ther
= are forty million acres between wher
W we stand and the Texas border"
said.
He desired that Uncle Sam hel
these soldiers to clear these acre:
drain the wet places, fence the fields
erect houses and outbuildings, and bs
come trained farmers. There must
such development as will group thes
4 farm communities he has visionec
Il with stores and schools and churche
moving picture theatres and plat
to dance; place for the folks to NEE
and good roads for them to trav
over: there must be an end Of lsol
ton and farm life must be made a
tractive, so that the trend Of the po
ulation to urban communities w
cease and men will be happy to live
Gods country places.
America must do these things
order to measure up to her high stan
ard of democracy. She has told Il
nations of the earth that the wor
must be made safe for democracy; S
has sent millions Of men across t
ocean and billions Of treasure to he
make it safe; President Wilson h
become the great world spokesm
for the peoples; and as never befo
the world looks to America for gul
ance.
Ten per cent of the men called
the colors were illiterate. That MI
be stopped. America must educs
her people, train them and make the
capable of doing erpert things
pertly. Trained men won the war
trained engineers, mechanics, che
lists. A farmer must be tralr
man in many things from soils
transportation. This country has
sued a challenge to the world and
must make good.