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Show Utah on Threshold of ' ! . Great Development Era W. F. Jensen, Home From Washington, Predicts Record-breaking Times Ahead for State; Tells of Conference in National Capital. ' I COMPLAINT that the war was I working an extreme hardship on L'tah because of the small proportion pro-portion of war industries in this slate can now be turned into thanks-Riving thanks-Riving by tho people of this state, said W. '. Jensen, member of the state council of defense, who yesterday returned re-turned from Washington, where, witli P. J. Jloran, he was a delegate of the Ltah organization to a meeting of rep-j resentajives of various states. "Before the war was over," said Mr. Jensen, "we were worried about how-Utah how-Utah could maintain her place in support sup-port of tho struggle because of the lack of war orders coming to Utah. Tho war is over now, and tho states which had the preponderance of war orders, of course, will naturally have the greatest readjustment to suffer from. And, besides, be-sides, the loyal people of Utah did not fail in a single iota in contributing more than their share on every call. y With conditions as they are, Utah will bo enabled to have her men return to their homes and their work with the slightest amount of difficult- of any state in the union." Sees Further Benefits. In addition, Mr. Jensen said that with the development of the vast reclamation reclama-tion projects that are being worked out, and tor which a conference of governors gover-nors is to be held in Washington next month. Utah will be especially benefited. bene-fited. ; No state in the union, ' ' lie continued, con-tinued, ' ' has as jjreat an acreape of laud with the necessary water available as has Utah. Almost a million acres of land can ho reclaimed in Utah. I conferred with members of the interior depart incut in Washington and with Secretary Franklin K. Lime in person, and I am satisfied that the government is going to develop all of the available land ill this state. Not only will the projects themselves be worked out, but the transportation facilities, which are just as vital as is the water, will be provided by the govern m en t. I urged that the perfection of an irrigation project in Utah without giving the farmer a chance to move that which he can produce, would involve a vast waste of time. The old idea of not installing j the transportation until there is some- i thing to produce is on the wane among 1 the officials. They are of the opinion that the two projects arc equally important im-portant and should bo equally developed. devel-oped. Development of Land. ' ' The development of Utah 's lands within the next few years by irrigation and tho construction of the necessary roads and railway lines will nian an addition of fully a half million to the population of the state, and this, in turn, will necessarily mean a largo increase in-crease iu the population, of Salt Lake. City." While the specific purpose of the i meeting which Mr. Jensen attended was to discuss the development of the government gov-ernment plana for a further restriction iu non-essential construction, the signing sign-ing of the armistice brought to an almost al-most abrupt end these plans and turned the conference of representatives into a discussion of post-war readjustment conditions. Tho meeting developed, however, that during the two months in which the n on-war construction board had operated oper-ated prior to the signing of the armistice arm-istice a total' of 1042 permits for construction con-struction had been passed upon. Of these 992 were rejected and but f i fty allowed in the entire nation. This, said Mr. Jenseu, ouly evidences the intention inten-tion of tlie government to. a Mow only the barest necessi ties in construction. A report made at the meeting showed that on the morning oP tho signing of the armistice there was a shortage of 1,200,000 men for the manufacture of war munitions. A Wonderful Insight. "Tho meeting provided a wonderful insight into the plans of the government govern-ment for continuing the war, ' ' said Mr. Jensen. "t was amazing to- hear of what had been accomplished and what could have been done when we were going under a full head of steam. The country had hardly gotten started, and, under full swiug, no power on earth could have stopped America. The realization of the vast power of this nation undoubtedly had a great deal j to do with the final decision of the j Uerman rulers to bow to the inevitable. 1 ' ' At one conference Secretary Jose- j phus Daniels of the navy department, j Secretary Newton D. Baker ot the war department, Secretary W. C. Kcdfield j of the department of commerce, Secretary Secre-tary Franklin K. Lane of the interior department, Food Administrator Herbert Her-bert Hoover and E. H. Hurley, in charge ; of the merchant marine construction, j addressed the delegates. B. M. Bam eh, J chairman of the war industries board; j Judge E. B. Parker, priorities commissioner; commis-sioner; J. S. Craven, assistant chief of j the state councils section of the national na-tional council of defense, and A. B. ; Shaw, in charge " of the commercial j economy work of the nation, also were : speakers. j After-war Readjustment. j I "Mr. Lane," said Mr. Jensen,, j ''spoke especially of the plans of the govern iu cut for after -the-war readjustment readjust-ment and of the vast work which is to be done in the colonization and reclamation reclama-tion of lands. He laid especial emphasis empha-sis on the necessity for Americans to keep their feet firmly on the ground and to maintain the intensive production produc-tion which the war has brought about. Secretary Baker, iu the name of the I war department, conveyed the thanks j of the government, for the loyal sup-; sup-; port which had been given the govern- ment in every activity of war work. Secretary Ecu1 Held and Mr. Hurley outlined out-lined the plans of the department of commerce, and told of the plan for continuing con-tinuing the shipbuilding program, which will give us the greatest fleet of merchant ships in the world. "This plan, bv the way, when taken together with the reclamation projects of the department of the interior, is expected to entirely solve any difficulties difficul-ties of what to do with our mca when they come home. 1 1 Carried to their fruition, it will mean that America can maintain the present intensive work and, at the same time, provide' for all of the men at present pres-ent in the war service and more, too. "Secretary Daniels told of the completion, com-pletion, just a few days before the signing of the armistice, of the closing of the North sea to any submarine traffic. traf-fic. A total of 57,000 made-iu-America mines had beeu planted, all by American Ameri-can ships, manned by Americans, from Norway to the coast of Scotland. The plan, evolved by American naval officers, offi-cers, was scouted as being impossible when proposed, but the job was done Into in October. Preventing Food Waste. "Mr. Hoover outlined the necessity for the continued elimination of food wastes in order that sufficient could be provided for our hungry allies and for our enemies. The latter, lie said, was necessary because of the danger of encouraging en-couraging anarchy should the Germans be allowed lo go hungry until their own crops develop. "The most disappointed people T saw on my trip were the officers stationed at Washington. Many of them expected within a short time to leave for the front, and the armistice shattered their dans and hopes. "I was deeply impressed with hearing hear-ing of inventions which had been perfected per-fected bv Americans by which almost the exact location of a submarine could j be detected bv destroyers equipped with 'listening devices. Another successful I invention had to do with a telephone ; for com muni cation between ai rplane i pilots :md Ihe observer during the heat of battle. This arrangement consisted of a receiver which strapped over the ears of both men and connected by wires, and still another small plate ' fastened under the chin and which I acted Jas tho transmitter from the vibra-J vibra-J t i on of the vocal chords and allowed : tho men to talk amidst the tremendous din of an airplane under fire." i Mr. Jensen will make a report on his Strip at tho next meeting of the executive execu-tive committee of the state council of defense. Mr. Jensen said that (he fact that Utah has gone over the top in every drive for war funds, and because of thy enthusiasm with which Governor Bamberger has entered en-tered into war work, the executive has won the profound admiration of the officials of-ficials who are deeply concerned with the readjustment plans, especially those for the reclamation of lands for returned soldiers and sailors. |
