The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1918-06-19
PART OF FARM
WEALTH OF U. 5.
URGED FOR MEN
Who fight HUNS
Secretary Lane Proposes
Vast Reclamation Scheme
for the Plan
SEES LESSON IN
THE CIVIL WAR
Asks That Lands Be Pre-
pared and Made Ready
\: for Home, Building

I washington. D. c., June 1s.-(spe-
Fcfal. Part Of the farm wealth Of the
nation should be an assured heritage
Iof the men who fight the nations
iwaT against Germany, Secretary
Llama declared in his letter to Pres1-
dent Wilson and congress, urging a
Vast reclamation scheme to meet
Sha requirements for returning SOL
Siiers after the war,
Secretary Lanes letter, which was
written May 81, Il as follows:
'gIy dear Mr.. President: believe
the time has come when we should
Biys thought to the preparation Of
EplRns for providing opportunity for
our soldiers returning from the war.
because this department has handled
similar problems I consider 1t my
duty ogbring this matter to the at
Een&3on Of yourself and congress.
F'Every country has found itself
kaca to Tace with this situation at
the close OF q great war. From
Rome under Caesar to France, under
Napoleon down even to our own
sCivIl war, the problem arose as to
what could be done with the sol
oilers to be mustered out OF mill
barry, service.
Lesson impressed by Civil Wan
":A&-the close OF tho civil war Am
erica, faced O. somewhat similar SIT
nation. But fortunately at that time
The public domain offered opportun-
aty to the home returning soldiers.
Mhse great part the veterans Of that
lsyar2Ulayed In developing the west ts
tona OF our epicA. The homestead
havg had been signed by LAncoln in
bhasRecOnd year Of the war, 80 that
out cot our wealth in lands we had
farms TO offer the million Of vet
Eeraus. Tt was also the era Of trans
Iconttnanta1 railway construction. It
WAS Mkswise the period Of rapid, yet
broad and full, development OF towns
and communities and states.
40 the great number of return
Hnge soldiers land will offer the great
and fundamental opportunity. The
experience Of wars points out the
lesson that our service men, because
of army life, with its opennesa and
Eacttvaty, viii largely seek out OF
doors vocations and occupations.
Plan Adopted in Europe.
"Tlhs fact is accepted by the allied
European nations, That is why their
programs and policies Of relocating
and readjustment emphasize the OPP
oortunities on the land for the re-
turning soldier. The question then
is, What land can be made avail
able for farm homes for our SOL
diers2"
I'VE do not have the bountiful
public domain of the eos and 70s
In a literal sense, for the use Of 1t
on a generous scale for soldier farm
homes as in the COS, the public
domain is gone The official figures
at the end Of the fiscal year. June
80, 1917, show this; We have un-
appropriated land in the continental
United States to the amount Of 230,-
657,765 acres. It is safe TO say that
not one-half Of this land will ever
be Culttvable in any sense. So
we have no land in any way COM
parable to that in the public domain
when Appomattox came-and men
burned westward with army rifle and
golls blanket begin Life anew.
Millions UndeveIoped,
I *sWhfle we do not have that match
Eess public domain OF '66, we do have
miIhons Of acres of undeveloped
lands that can be made available for
bur Homecoming soldiers. We have
Rrid lands in the west, cueUver lands
In The northwest, lake states, and
Eouth, and also swamp lands In the
middle west and south, which. can.
~ &AAGAIp NGSA4uLb1O lii CAA54AA SAA0 hFAOR~
kr development. Much of this land
can be made suitable for farm homes
properly handled,
~But 1t win require that each. typo
be land be dealt with In it's own par
hcu1ag fashion The arid land will
bequtrs water, the cutover land will
wequirs clearing and the swamp
land must be drained. without any
bf these aids. they remain largely
I9Io Mans Land The solution OF
these problems ls no new thing, In
khe admirable achievement Of hhSl
reclamation service in reclamation
Ind drainage we have abundant
proof Of what can, he done.
Empire la the Southwest.
looking toward the construction
gf additional projects, I am glad to
Say that plans and Investigations
bave been under way for some time.
~ survey and study has been In the
course of consummation by the reo-l
lanoat3on service on the great Colo
tado basin. That great project, II
believe, win appeal to the new spirit
hf America 1t would mean the con-
quest OF an empire in the southwest.
& ii believed that more than 8.000,-