RANCHING FOR EXOFFICERS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 44, 15 November 1919, Page 3

RANCHING FOR EXOFFICERS

MILLION ACRES IN MEXICO. forty or fifty ex-officers met in London recently, and were selected by BrigadierGeneral A. C. Critchley to proceed to Mexico, there to plant a British colony on' an estate of .a million acres, situated Ji>o miles north of Mexico City. Since. General Critchley -first made his scheme known he has been besieged with applications/and in the selection of fcuitWe men lie has been' assisted by the ExOfficers' National Federation. The Mexican Consul was present at the meeting. ' General Critchley, who sailed for Mexico regally, impressed on the ex-officers •that they were in no Gense a party of adventurers going out to stir up strife in Mexico. That was tho first fear of fcba Mexican Government when they heard,of the scheme, but now they knew tho : details of the proposal they., were giving all the help they could. _In "conjunction with an - American friend a huge estate of a million acres had been bought'on a "fifty-fifth" basis; He now invited those ex-officers whom he had selected to join him on the estate, where Ihey would bo given -one year's tuition in whatever brniich of ranching , ihey preferred. In the second year they would be ready to commence on their oii'h account, and would lease their land from the estate. He told the men that it would be hard work, but at the end (;i>are • were certain prospects. Each nsaji would provide .£2OO for his -keen for the first year/ but this money would be entrusted-, to a-comniittee of themselves similar to an officers' liiess. This committee" would also liave tho power to "firo" any man who becamo a nuisance, for good-wi'l-and lwrmony were essential for,success.' . . . ...

■ General Critchley afterwards invited questions. Replying to one officer, ])0 said,the sfthemc. was not approved by the British Foreign Office because they thought it ought to have been carried out within the Empire. The American 'Government: did not approve of it, because; lie imagined, the estuto was not very far from their, border. Considerable .merriment was occasioned by c.ne applicant" who nsked: "How ninny hours a day will the work consist of?" General Critchle.v replied: ."Anyone who is .think-in? of hours a flay had better stop behind."-