Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-01-19
vegetation THR|VEs
IN DEVASTATED LAND
Twenty-Milc Strip of France Plowcd
Up by Innumcrablc She'll
Holes.
HAND LABOR is NEEDE,
No Shipping Available to Bring Men
From China or Africa-Suggcstion
Made That German Prisoners BE
Employed.
ny JOIN $. STEELE.

~ JOHN 8. STEELE.
PARIS. January 1S.-One of the most
urgent problems left by the war is the
rehabilitation from an agricultural
point OF view of the devastated lands
of France. do no, know exactly how
many million acres of this land there
are. and l doubt il any exact survey
has been made, but roughly speaking
there exists from the sea to the Swiss
frontier belt about twenty miles wide
which the war has made Il desert. To
bring that deser; back to its former
fertility is the problem which must be
faced
Let me say to begin with that the
problem is smaller than MAS anticipate
ed ut the beginning OF the war when
the effect on the fertility of land OF
the tremendous ploushinS and batter
ing by shells and explosives which 1t
has received WAS less understood man
it is now. y year ago heard agri-
cultural experts gravely declare that
Tor years to come nothing would grow
in this desert belt The soil they de-
clarcd had been destroyed. 1t had been
pulverized ana blown away. 1t had
been buried under tons and tons of
upturned hard pan. 1t had been pos-
oned by Eass and high explosives. And
the layman who looked on this picture
of desolation a year ago was Inclined
TO agree without question that thc,-
were right.
Recently, however. nave been over
the ground again and while much of
r-that part which has been the scene
OF the moro recent iighting-s,iil con-
veys the old impression of hopeless
sterility, much more, which has had
year or more or rest is a tribute to
the all powerful repairing forces OF
nature. AS far AS she could do $50
nature has tried to heal the scars Of
hattle and at least she has succeeded
In covering them up. Grasses and
wild flowers. some by the way Of spe-
cies which previously were unknown in
this part of the world have sprung
up In profusion and where they can
crops can be cultivated The fertility
of the soil has not been destroyed In
1act fhere arc many experts now who
hope that ii has been increased and
turned to cultivation II will be more
prolific than ever.
GREAT PROBLEM is To PREPARE
LAND FOR CULTIVATION
The great problem. however. is the
preparation OF the land for cultivation.
condition OF this formerly rich and
smiling country. There is not q yar.i
in the twenty-mile strip that does not
contain she'll hole. Some OF these
holes are ten or twelve fee, deep. and
as wide across Toss 1 Others are only
craters by the tozen and tho score.
have seen & mine crater eighty feet
deep and couple OF hundred fee.
across. No plough tina, was ever mad.
will be any use in this country. and
there is no cuitivating machine that
was ever thought of that will serve.
The hand tabor of hundreds OF thou
sands of men alone will be needed %
bring this land into such condition
that plough can be used or IT. Every
the mine craters must be ievelled up
before the land can be of any use to
the farmer again.
which can only be done by hand lapcr
Even II the land were lcvelled to-day.
would take the risk of driving a fu..-
row through. IL for the land contains
tens of thousands, perhaps even mil
lions. of .dud'' or unexp!oded shells
mean shell that never viii explode.
There are dozens of reasons why a
was fired. The fusins may have been
wrong. or the gunner may have maize
one. of many possible mistakes in ;hu
excitement OF battle. Practically every
or wholly covered in the SOIL OF Frame
Is source of potential danger to the
husbandman. \ blow from the plough
share or the picaNc ~ the spade Oh
the business end of on. Of these shells
may mean death to tho man who is
trying to restore the land 10 its old
il .geiha ms therefore. that hand
labor is needed TO level the land aud
dealing shells. Where is this land
labor 10 come from: France is short
OF men and needs all her available
labor for more Immediate purposes.
Shipping by which labor might be
brought from China or Africa Is
urgently needed for other uses There
remains one solution. II would b..
poetic justice 10 compel the thousands
of German prisoners now in France to
restore the land that they devastatsd
before they are allowed to return to
cultivate the soil of Germany. Already
there is an inSistcnt demand in Franc.
taat this be made feature of tna'
final peace settlement. They cou.I
probably complete the work in less
than year. and leave behind tn..ii
instead OF u desert, not indeed a Sln!l-
ing agricultural! country. but Il land
which under the hands OF the thri(ty
and industrious French farmers 500.
would smile again.
At presen. many thousands OF Ger
man prlson@rS are at work repairing
the roads OF France. This. | believe.
is regarded rs work Of immediate inii-
itary Importance, huI ii is work which
VIII leave the ruined roads in good
repair. and a peace asset TO Franz.
why not compel them 20 restore the
ruined lands as wcll?---C'opyright. 1919
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