The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1918-12-12

Looking Forward Work" for DESTROYED Americans:
The Reconstruction Program of Secretary Franklin X. Lane

O ECRETARY og the Interior Franklin X. Lane
in his annual report To the president, made
public today, confines himself very largely to
an ampliication of his plan to provide occupation
and homes for returned soldiers On the now idle
lands of the nation. lie first outlined this plan in
his now well-known letter 10 The president made
public last May. The letter attracted wide attcn-
ton al that time from the people Of the whole coun-
trv, but. unfortunately. IL attracted little or no at
tcnticn from congress. At the time he received it
the president gave il to the country with a bare
statement of commcndation Apparently hc gave
the plan no further consideration until his casual
reference TO it in his most recent address To congress
on the occasion Of his departure for Europe. AS a
result Secretary Lanes plan is little nearer To a
practical application today than il was on May III
when he first proposed il and when the end OF the
war and the return of our soldiers seemed many
months and even years in the future.
This is unfortunate both for the country and
for our soldiers because Secretary Lane has ont
lined a plan of national development which Is prae-
teal and which would have overcome the most ser
ioua phase of the returned soldier problem, had II
been worked ont in detail and made ready to be put
into use when the discharged soldier most needed
il at the time of his discharge. II Is extremely
doubtful il even emergency legislation can put this
plan into effective use for the immediate ABSORPTION
Of any great volume Of tie labor released By the de-
mobilization of the armies. But, as the Herald has
had occasion 10 show before, this plan of the See
rotary of the Interior is the only broad gauge plan
as vet proposed in a definite, concrete way, for TAX
ing care OF returned soldiers aud demonstrating IN
a practical way the gratitude of this nation 10 them.
And il is the only concrete proposal now before the
country for the reclamation of our idc lands, u
matter which il of grave concern not only in New
Mexico and other western. public-land states. but
in almost every state in the union: For, as Mr.. Lane
shows in his report. there is no state in this nation
without its great areas of unused, waste land, sub
jcct to reclamation and to use IN production. Even
little New Jersey, which could be set down in a cor
nan af Nous. h.xieo Inns I mn ODO nprps of swami
lands, now unused save by duck hunters. which
could be drained and made highly productive
right at the doors of the greatest market in th"
world, the City of New York.
Looking forward work, y Mr.. Lane calls his
program, ''for best proved Americans, meaning
those who offered themselves in defense of our ma
tional ideals and for the safety of civilization.
These are the problems which Secretary Lane
declares "A broad gauge adoption and application OF
his plan will solve;
THAT of AN immediate job for the man
himself (thc returned soldier.
THAT Of protecting the labor market
against any possible collapse by being
swamped with a surplus of labor.
49, ~e 3--TAat Of providing~for many lines OF re
established industry an immediaic de-
mand for its products.
THAT of staying the movement toward
the cities, and thus more completely de
centralizlns our population.
5-rhat of affixing TO our soil u large num-
her of the best proved Americans.
6-That Of setting up throughout the land
the most modern pattern of farm set
Element in which the social side of hu.