tria-Hungary have
undergone something of the same transformation. When the war is over these
countries will probably endeavor to mobilize their men and women for
industry as they previously mobilized them for war. And in so far as they
are able to adjust credit and assistance to their people, they will strive
to keep them at home.

But that is not all. Millions of men have been killed or incapacitated.
Poland, Galicia, parts of Hungary and Russia have been devastated. Many
nobles who owned the great estates have been killed. Many of them are
bankrupt. Their land holdings may be broken up into small farms. The state
can only go on, taxes can only be collected if industry and agriculture are
brought back to life. And the nations of Europe are turning their attention
to a consciously worked out agricultural programme for putting the
returning soldiers back on the land. Not only that, but reports from
steamship and railroad companies indicate that large numbers of men are
planning to return to Europe after the war. The estimates, based upon
investigation, run as high as a million men. Poles and Hungarians are
imbued with the idea that land will be cheap in Europe and that the savings
they have accumulated in this country can be used for the purchase of small
holdings in their native country, through the possession of which their
social and economic status will be materially improved.

I have no doubt but that the years which follow the ending of the war will
see an exodus from this country which may be as great as the incoming tide
in the years of our highest immigration. Along with this exodus to Europe,
Canada will endeavor to repeople her land. Western Canada especially is
working out an agricultural and land programme. Even before the war her
provinces had removed taxes from houses and improvements and were
increasing the taxes upon vacant land, with the aim of breaking up land
speculation. And this policy will probably be largely extended after the
war is over. England, too, is developing a comprehensive land policy, and
is placing returning soldiers upon the land under conditions similar to
those provided in the Irish Land Purchase Act. It is not improbable that
the war will be followed by a breaking up of many of the great estates in
England and the settlement of many men upon the land in farm colonies, such
as have been worked out in Denmark and Germany. Even prior to the war
Germany had placed hundreds of thousands