Imperial Valley press., 1921-07-25
AM. | LEG|0 \
IS AGAINST
N Dewitt
PLAN
Colonization Project for Vet
Grams Not to Their Interest
Says Long Delayed Report
of Investigating Commit
tee.

The McDevitt plan for the rehabil-
itation and vocational training Of ex-
service men, which has been in opera
tion in the Imperial Valley for about
five months, has been rejected by the
investigation committee of the AM
erican Legion, which was appointed
some weeks ago, on the general
ground that it is mot for the best
interests" of the veterans.
The report which is signed by Wal
ter Kibbey, chairman, of Ell Centre;
Thomas J. Worthington, Calexico; d.
b. Roberts, Holtville; Beecher S.
Imperial; and Elmer Heald, Calipat-
ria; Investigators; and Ross T. Hick-
cox, Vaughn N. Thompson and Her.
man l.. Welsh, as legal advisory COM
mittee, has been ready for submission
for several weeks, but publication
was held up until it could be submit
ted to Buron r. Fits, state command
er, and other state officers of the
American Legion. This was done in
Los Angeles, this morning. and re-
lease of the report to the public or
dered.
The McDevitt plan was proposed
early this year by T. W McDevitt,
who secured the cooperation Of the
Federal Board for Vocational Train
ing, and has been exploited in detail
in the columns of The Press. Briefly,
it was complicated scheme; it re-
lates to the training in agricultural
pursuits and to the acquisition of land
i'm three great ranches in the valley,
by eX-service men. entitled to voca-
tional training under the Federal act.
On February 27, a joint meeting
was held in Ell Centro. Present were
representatives of each legion post in
Imperial County and representative
of the board for vocational education.
The McDevitt plan was discussed and
the above named committee appointed
TO investigate it. ~ ~"
MANY meetings have been held since
then.
Centering around McDevitt, the
committee learned, were companies
known as the McDevitt company. and
The McDevitt Projects company. "lt
is difficult" says the report, "to de-
termine the functions" of these three.
"The McDevitt company, as we gather
it, is supposed to be college or school
L
company is to acquire the title to the
lands-yet we find the McDevitt conf
pany is proposing to contract with the
trainees (the exservice men) for the
lands"
The proposed workings of the Nc
Dewitt plan are given in the commit
tees report as follows:
"At one meeting Mr.. McDevitt gen.
orally outlined plan which III few
words can be said that Mr.. McDevitt
would provide training for the men on
large units of land; that the land
would be cultivated by the men under
competent instructors, and the pro-
ucts would be applied-after deduct
ing necessary expenses-to the pur-
chase price Of the land, and that when
so per cent of the whole purchase
price had been paid deeds to specific
portions thereof-in amounts to be de-
termined--would be given to the trai-
nees, who then would execute to the
owners trust deeds securing the bal
ance of the purchase price; thatishe
was prepared to enter into a, contract
with the trainees to that effect, that
he already had contract with the
Federal Board, and that his cor,pen-
sation would consist of $25 per month
per man for training purposes; that
If, after operation. it was discovered
that the purchase price could not thus
be paid within a reasonable time a
crop lease would be deemed to be the
contract under which the trainecs had
acted, and that they should receive
certain of the profits for the work
done by them upon the premises.
"Mr. McDevitt and his attorney