Lands
PUBLIC, lands which the until in President Roosevelt's administration a halt was called and many government owns and disposes of by sale or otherwise to States and individuals. the remainder of it more closely and These lands have been acquired largely carefully guarded. According to a by cession from other nations. The the remainder of it more closely and yielding to Congress by the various carefully guarded. recent statement of ex-Secretary of the Interior Lane the United States, on States of the rights to western territory was an important influence in the formation of the Constitution. Between July 1, 1918, possessed 222,448,225 acres government in Alaska, which amounted 1781 and 1788 all the States having In the year claims in the West ceded them to Con- government in Alaska, which amounted gress, which immediately divided them to about 350,000,000 acres. into terra ies under the famous North-ending July, 1918, the Land Office had west Ordinance of 1787. Public lands disposed of nearly 10,000,000 acres and have been added to by Louisiana Purchase (1803), the cession of Florida (1819), the treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo with Mexico (1848), and the purchase of Alaska (1867). That portion of the lands held by the government and not sold is what is usually known as the "public lands."
The policy of the government was at tract, then to sell in small lots and on credit, and after 1820 to sell for cash in lots to suit the purchasers. In 1862 Congress passed the "Homestead Law" providing that any person could secure 160 acres of public land if he settles on it for five years and improves the property.
Under this law more than 85 million acres of public land has passed to individuals. The same act appropriated to the States a tract of the public land on tural colleges. In this way 10 more millions of acres were disposed of. tural colleges. In this way 10 more under general laws Congress has frequently made grants of land to persons quently made grants of land to persons greater part of 10 million acres was given to soldiers of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812; 60,000,000 acres were set aside to be granted to grant the lands to the different States sometimes for the purpose of building According to had received $5,431,827. a militia of Germany, consisting of those LANDSTURM (länd'störm), a local militia of Germany, consisting of those of the reserve who are too old to serve sturm is never called on to serve out of its own district except in case of inits own district except in case of invasion. When the Russians invaded East Prussia in 1914, the Landsturm played a leading part in driving them back.