The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1918-08-09
SOCIALISM, |. ". W.ISM AND
BOLSHIYIKISMLFADTO SAME END
Russianization of America-Shall
We Swop the Tried for
the Doubtful?

ington has plans in operation to
provide against the day of the home
coming of American soldiers.
War risk insurance is one of the
greatest plans of modern times. Vo-
cational employment for wounded
soldiers is an actually, and plans
are being perfected to take care of
ten thousand incapacitated men,
who are likely to return from Per-
shing's army this year.
Secretary of the Interior Frank
lin X. Lane has called attention to
the fact that at the close of the civil
war America met it's problems of
caring for returning soldiers by
throwing millions of acres of home
stead lands open for entry. The So
called homestead law was signed by
Lincoln in the second year of the
war, and out of our wealth in lands
we had farms to offer millions of
veterans. But the bountiful domains
of the sixties and seventies have
passed, and, as Mr.. Lane puts it,
ave have no lands in any way COM
parable to that of the public domain
****when men turned westward with
army rifle and rolled blanket to be-
gin life anew"
Even though the rich homestead
lands have all been taken, the fact
remains that there are still arid
lands in the west, cut-over lands IN
the northwest and in the states Dor
dering the Great Lakes. The swamp
lands of the south can be made avail
able through their proper develop
ment. However, the best opportun-
ity for new home-seekers doubtless
lies in the Colorado basin. "That
great project, I believe, will appeal
to the new spirit of America" says
Secretary Lane, who comments:
at would mean the conquest of an
empire in the southwest. 1t is be
lieved that more than three million
of acres of arid land could be re-
claimed by the completion of the
Upper and Lower Colorado Basin
Projects. 1t has been officially es-
timated that more than fifteen mil
lions of acres of irrigable land now
remain in the governments hands.
This is the great remaining store
house of government land for re-
clamation."
The Draft To Farm
Hardening back to the days of the
civil war, there is an abundance Of
evidence that soldiers returning
from military life showed a decided
preference for agricultural pursuits.
The soldiers life in the open appears
to be conducive to the selection of
the farm for vocation. History
challenges the prediction and pro-
nhesy so often heard, that our SOL
der boys will flock to the great
cities upon their return from Europe.
They have never shown any ten
dency to coop themselves up in
apartment houses and tenement
fats.
The United States is no longer ig-
noring the experiences of other
countries and governments. And
we have ceased to drift along in a
self-satisfied manner. A study has
been amde of the agricultural condi-
tons of Denmark. Ireland, New Re
land and Australia with reference
to the land situation, and it has
been determined that organized com
munitv development in these coun-
tries has succeeded in turning tho
drift of population from the cities
toward the farm The interior de-
partment under Secretary Lane. is
urging that the government seizethe
opportunity for immediate action
along the line of the governments
duty with reference to beginning
new irrigation projects and reclaim
inp vast tracts of land that can be
utilized after the war. so that the
United States NAV be able to say to
its returning soldiers: eff you wish
to go upon farm. here are a vari-
ETY. of farms. of which you may take
YOUR pick. which the government has
prepared against the time of your
return"
Secretary Lane is very insistent
that the United States get busy up
on this phase of national develop
ment.
Government Employment Service
Under the new form of employ
ment that has been worked out
through the United States depart
ment of labor, a Capitalization of
employment service for the purpose
of recruiting and distributing labor
for world production has gone into
effect. The new United States en-
ployment service proposes to blank
ct the United States, and a large
staff has been employed at Wash
ington, while throughout the country