Arizona republican., 1920-04-12
GEN. WOOD FAVORS LAND FUR SOLDIERS;
 LOVE FOR ARIZONA

That the returned soldiers of France would have the good offices of General Leonard Wood in the presidency. in support of a soldier settlement plan is brought out in a letter received on saturday by Hon. J. c. Goodwin from Eeneral Wood. It was in reply to the loilowing from MT. Goodwin:
 ,,... March. 25. 1920. Chicago, III.
 My dear General:
 yesterday, l was talking with Ad- lutant Dudley Windes of the American ieglon Tor Arizona. He asked me the question, what I thought the federal government was going to do in regard 70 giving land to the soldier boys told him I did not know. He then asked me what I thought the state would do. l told him that, under ouI constitution. it would be impossible TOT the state to do anything as far as Iaho IS concerned I told him that some time ago l write letter to you advising and believing that you would do something by using your influence you were president of the United states, in getting the arid lands of the west reclaimed by inipounding the 1lood waters and the swamp lands of the south drained by canals You
 
 The United States and the west knows that there is not an acre of land to be secured from the government on which one can make a home. yet there are millions of acres that can be reclaimed. But, when we speak of reclamation of our arid and flood lands. we must speak and think in billions. It was said during the war that we raised bill lions and sent our boys across the waters to make the world safe for de- mocracy. but I think at this time it would be well to spend a few billions on reclamation to make our country safe for democracy. For a little home Is an immunity for bolshevism. There. are millions of acres of land in Arizona and the west that can be reclaimed at from $50 to S100 per acre. These lands. after being reclaimed, are worth from $500 to $500 an acre.
 In the last three months hundreds of thousands of acre feet of water have passed down the Salt, the Giia and Colorado rivers These waters have caused the destruction of millions of dollars of property by destroying bridges. dam and canals. If these waters had been impounded by storage it would have added millions of acres to our agricultural lands and billions to the wealth of the state and would have 1essened the high cost of living by increased production of foodstuffs
 
 illustration. of the destructive power of the water and by conserving the water by storage the value of it. These rivers illustrate the many rivers of the west
 Adjutant Windes advised me that he would favor anyone for president that favored reclamation of our lands for the soldier boys.
 I am writing this to you to know if you care to express your opinion of how you stand on this subject. This is not sectional question or propo- sition. If we give lands to the soldier boys. they must go where the land is. and the only government land in the United States to be had is either in the south or the west. and these lands must be reclaimed If you care to ex- press or declare yourself on this prop osftion, I think that the American legion and service boys would be very pleased to know how you stan'
 Hoping you succeed Tn your primary campaign. I am
 T. c. GOODWIN.
 To this General Wood replied as follows:
 At Columbus. O.,April g. My dear Sir:
 Your letter of the twentysixth of March received.
 am enclosing a printed copy of one of my recent speeches. It will give you an idea of my general views on various subjects. I am a firm believer in the reclama- tion and conservation Of our arid areas. I believe in the fullest possible rec ognition of the services rendered by | our soldiers at home and abroad. They l have no better friend than I. I served for a long time in Arizona | and the southwest and am keenly in | in seeing this section of the | built up. l think if we can | settle our young soldiers on tracts of | land. it will go a long way toward i building up our agriculture which | reds all the support we can give it.
 Sincerely yours.
 LEONARD WOOD. Hon. J. C. Goodwin, Tempe, Ariz.
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