Our National Defense: The Patriotism of PeaceMaxwell, George Hebard
History
Our National Defense: The Patriotism of Peace
Maxwell, George Hebard
United States -- Defenses
Another $100,000,000--the amount an additional 100,000 men added to the
regular army would cost for the second year--would provide $1000 for the
improvement of every acre of the total 100,000 acres purchased or set apart
by the government for subdivision into one acre Homecrofts for the
Homecroft Reserves in California, Minnesota, Louisiana, and West Virginia.
Of that $1000 an acre, $100 would more than cover its cost, $200 an acre
would cover the investment for reclamation and preparation for occupation,
and $500 an acre would cover the cost of the house and outbuildings,
leaving a surplus to the government of $200 an acre on each of the 100,000
Homecrofts.
Every Homecroft would thereafter return to the government from the rental
charge thereon, six per cent on a valuation of $1000 to cover interest and
sinking fund, and an additional six per cent for all other expenses of
instruction, operation, and maintenance. And perpetually thereafter, for
all time, those 100,000 Homecrofts would provide a permanent force of
100,000 Reservists for the national defense, without any cost to the
government for their maintenance.
The Homecroft Reserves should be established on the basis of an
organization of 1000--ten companies of 100 each--in one organized and
united community. These community organizations, which would each furnish a
regiment in the Reserve, would be organized primarily as Educational
Institutions, with Instructors to train the Homecrofters in every branch of
scientific truck-gardening, fruit-growing, berry-culture, poultry raising,
preparing products for market and for home consumption, coöperative
purchase of supplies and distribution of products, home-handicraft and
"_housekeeping by the year_." The officers of each company and of the
regiment would be resident Homecrofters like the rest. They would have
received their military training in military schools established and
maintained by the War Department for that purpose. No better use could be
made of the military posts now in existence and of their equipment and
buildings than to use them as military schools for training officers under
the exclusive control and management of the War Department. Every company
in the Homecroft Reserve should be thoroughly drilled at least once every
week for ten months of the year, leaving two months for a long march and an
annual encampment and field maneuvers.
The number of regiments in the Homecroft Reserve could be increased just
as fast as the necessary Educational and Military Instructors could be
developed for the establishment of new Homecroft Reserve Rural Settlements.
That would be very rapidly, after the first few years. Once the details had
been worked out for one Homecroft Reserve Rural Settlement of 10,000 men,
the duplication of the plan would be routine work.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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