The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-08-16
AFTER THE WAR

1t is the business Of the Government
to look ahead. Already Washington
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 Pershing's Army
this year.
Secretary of the Interior Frank l..
Lane, has called attention to the fact
that at the close of he Civil War
America met it's problems of caring
for the returning soldiers by throw
ing millions of acres of homestead
land open for entry. The so-callcd
Homestead Law was signed by Lin
coin 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 six
ties and seventies have passed, and,
as Mr.. Lane puts it: eve have no
land in any way comparable to that
in the public domain ). :. when men
turned westward with army rifle and
rolled blanket to begin life anew"
Even though the rich homestead
lands have all been taken, the fact re-
mains that there are still arid lands
in the West, cut-over lands in the
Northwest and in the States bordering
the Great Lakes. The swamp-lands
of the South can be made available
through their proper development.
However, the best opportunity for
new home-seekers doubtless lies in the
Colorado Basin. THAT great project,
/ believe, will appeal to the new spirit
OF America" says Secretary Lane,
who comments: at would mean the
conquest of an empire in the South
west. 1t is believed that more than
three million acres of arid land could
be reclaimed by the completion Of the
Upper and Lower Colorado Basin
Projects. 1t has been officially esti-
mated that more than fifteen millions
Of irrigable land now remain in the
Governments hands. This is the
great remaining storehouse of Gov
land for reclamation"
Inc DFiIt TO FarmS.
Hardening back to the days of the
Civil WG, there ~ an abundance of |
evidence that soldiers returning from
military life showed decided pref |
erence for agricultural pursuits. The |
soldiers life in the open appears TO |
be conducive to the selection of the |
farm for a vocation. History chal- |
enges the prediction and prophecy so
often heard, that our soldier boys will |
lock to the great cities upon their
return from Europe. They have new
er shown any tendency to coop them
selves up in apartment houses and
tenement flats.
The United States is no longer ig-
loring the experiences of other coun-
,ries and Governments; and we have
leased to drift along in gelf-satis-
led manner. A study has been made
# the agricultural conditions of Den
mark, Ireland, New Zealand and Aus
5ralia with reference to the land ist-
lation, and it has been determined
hat organized community develop
nent in these countries has succeeded
IN turning the drift of population
rom the cities toward the farm. The
Interior Department, under Secretary
Iane, is urging that the Government
iieze the opportunity for immediate
|uty with reference to beginning new
irrigation projects and retaining
asst tracts of land that can be util-
zed after the war, so that the United
states may be able to say to its re-
urning soldiers: eff you wish to go
Ipon farm, here are a variety of
arms, of which you may take your
lick, which the Government has pre-
'ared against the time of your re-
urn." l.
Secretary Lane is very insistent
hat the United States get busy upon
his phase of national development.