Gayly Colored Cottons Favored For Sunback Dresses, Swim Suits By CHERIE NICHOLAS WHAT a sun-worshiper fashion has come to be! The big idea this year seems to center about the theme of brief and beautiful clothes that bare you to the beneficent and health-giving rays of the sun. The tactful feature of this sun-exposure vogue is that a bolero or jacket is always added, thus providing a most clever coverage when you want to go stepping, here or there, for your bareback play-frock trans forms into a charming double-duty costume. The bare-back frock to the left is a perfect example of the new trend to sun - exposure fashions. Quaker gray broadcloth makes tl»is sunback dress that is far from demure with its back cut to the waist, but as you will note, she has her bolero in hand ready to slip on at will. The dress has a large soft bow at the neck in front. White fluting adds a pretty trimming touch. Worn with its matching bolero, this dress is as modest as modest can be. Not only does the costume de scribed go sunning on the beach, but it will be fun to wear to barbecue parties and all sorts of get-together outdoor playtime occasions. When it comes to the fabrics used for the new sun-frocks, it’s gay colored cottons that turn on the glamour full force. The best of it is that in these modern times one need have no misgivings as to whether the gorgeous prints or monotones will fade. One of the miracles of the age is the achievement of everfast cottons that you can buy as bright as you like and launder as often as you wish without danger of color deterioration or shrinkage. Among outstanding favorites, spun crash registers as something new and smart. This “classy” cotton tailors beautifully and the separate bolero made of it is chic to wear with slacks and shorts and bare-back di esses of contrast cottons, such as the modish eyeleted fabrics and the bright ginghams and the gorgeous printed piques. Now that you can get seersucker in gay plaids, ev erybody’s calling for it. Not only does it make up stunningly in the new bare midriff, sleeveless and bareback fashions, but it is “the latest” for swim suits with sarong skirts and bra tops. Checked ging hams and striped chambrays are also high fashion for sun frocks with boleros and for swim suits with matching beach coats. Yes, indeed, it’s the soap ’n' water cottons that hold fashion’s spotlight this sum mer. Black cottons for sports and beach fashions especially rate top fashion. Speaking of black, the swim suit that is creating the big sensa tion is a sleek form-fitting one piece made of black elasticized water-repellent velvet that is light as a feather in weight. Or you may choose models of black satin. Practical and ever so good-looking too, is the swim suit of black wool jersey. The girl centered in the il lustration is wearing a handsome black swim suit. That this fair swimmer throws a white wool sweater about her shoulders is im portant news for a new fad is going the rounds which calls upon the sweater to play the role of a smart beach coat or wrap. Fashion-wise girls are taking up the idea with enthusiasm. Much ado is being made over handsome accessory ensembles in cluding bra and headdress made of brilliantly colorful striped or plaid taffeta. As you see pictured in the inset to the right, the bra is formed of an artfully arranged scarf of woven taffeta in gay stripes teamed with which is a draped headdress of the same beautiful taffeta. To add to the colorful scene on the beach, huge bags cleverly designed of fab rics to match the sun-exposure cos tumes together with wide self fringed scarfs of the same material form a most fascinating twosome. These sets are ever so smart, made of gay gingham. Released by Western Newspaper Union. Checks for Summer This New York style in navy and white crepe artfully designs the now-so-voguish dressmaker checks for a woman’s figure. The styling given this daytime dress is unusu ally attractive. Self fabric ruching, a flat bow at the neckline, and a subtly arranged fullness in the skirt contribute smart details. The large white pearl buttons adds greatly to jk their charm. Jacquard Sweaters Are Gay, Colorful No wonder enthusiasm for the so-colorful, so-designful jacquard sweater is soaring to a new high. The advance models now arriving are beauties. Fancy seems to run to deep yoke effects. These some times extend over the shoulders in the new cap sleeve effect, forming an epaulet embroidery for the wrist length sleeves. If you are going va cationing they are nice to take along. They look striking worn with the teen-age bright plaid skirt. Another practical sweater that is a welcome newcomer this summer is made of soap ’n’ water white cot ton jersey. It is grand to wear with the shorter shorts on the play ground. Worn with slacks it makes the ideal garb for ambitious Vic tory gardeners. The cardigan-blouse type is attractively worn with smart pleated skirts or with the now-so popular narrow wool skirt Dressmaker Apron Lends Glamor to Basic Dress Something new in the way of a striking novelty has happened. It is the dressmaker apron or “fashion apron” as It is sometimes called, designed to glamorize the basic black dress. Made of fine colorful taffeta or faille and other dress-up fabric, and ruffled all around with lace, it is far removed from the humble kitchen type. It ties around the waist like any apron and has sash-wide “apron strings” for a bustle bow at the back. One fetch ing style is fashioned of apple green faille trimmed with a wide ruffle of black Chantilly-type lace. Homesteading Opportunities j In Alaska Interest Veterans _ ^ _ V ast Frontier Land Has Much to Offer to Hardy Young People K«)»Bat'd by Western Newspaper Union. Veterans of World War II dream as avidly of establish ing homes on the land as did the soldiers of the Continental army, Grant’s blue-clad vet erans, or Pershing’s dough boys in 1918, it is pointed out by the United States depart ment of the interior. Requests for information on available public lands, Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes points out, have literally inun dated the department’s of fices. The average number of requests for information on homesteads alone in the gen eral land office runs higher than 3,000 monthly and the number is increasing. Exservicemen who desire to set tle on public land, either in the con tinental United States or Alaska, will avoid many heartbreaking dis appointments if they first fully in form themselves concerning all of the possible pitfalls. One of the prime requisites, for instance, in obtaining title to public land is three years’ actual residence beginning within six months after permission to enter has been granted. There are numerous other requirements concerning such sub jects as the building of a habitable dwelling, the cultivation of the land and other details, about which pros pective settlers would do well to in form themselves before filing an ap plication. The principal advantage that vet erans have over other citizens is that service in the armed forces, np to a maximum of two years, is credited toward the three-year resi dence requirement. This applies generally to all citizens over 21 years of age who have served at least 90 days in the armed forces and who have been honorably dis charged therefrom. Veterans also enjoy a 90-day priority in filing ap plications for settlement on public land classified for that purpose. Any veteran of World War II under 21 is entitled to the same rights un der the homestead law as those over 21 who may be veterans of this or other conflicts. Residence require ments of such minors will be sus pended until six months after their discharge from the service. Moreover, homestead claims of veterans of World War II, initiated prior to their entrance into the serv ice, are protected against for feiture during the period of their service and for six months there after. Such veterans who are hon orably discharged and because of physical incapacity due to their service are unable to return to the land, may make proof without fur #ier residence, improvements and cultivation. Go North, Young Man. By far the greatest opportunities for obtuining title to and establish ing homesteads on public lands lie in Alaska. Th’' territory covers an area of 586,400 square miles, rough ly equal to one-fifth of that of the United States. More than 90 per cent of the territory is under the juris diction of the department of the in terior. The major portion is still open to settlement under the home stead laws. But, while the chances in Alaska are undoubtedly vast, there are many difficulties to be overcome. Considerable progress has been made in developing the territory on a stable basis, but it is still no place for the fainthearted. Those with sufficient financial backing and with courage and tenacity may reasonaoiy count upon success in the long run, but without these es sentials veterans and others would be wise to Ipok twice before they leap. Much also depends upon the wise selection of land, as to quality and accessibility. Many misconceptions about Alas ka have been dissipated as a re sult of the war. Many who have seen service there have been fas cinated by its picturesqueness, and impressed by its obvious possibili ties. The territory has largely lived down its old and undeserved repu tation as “Seward’s icebox’’ — a reputation that was pinned on it by the critics of Secretary of State Seward who negotiated the terri tory’s purchase from Russia in 1867. To speak of the climate of Alaska Is as misleading as to speak of the climate of Europe, or of Asia. The climate varies widely from that of southeastern Alaska, where it is virtually as mild as, but much wet Servicemen and women get pointers on Alaska land settlement from Commissioner Fred IV. Johnson, general land office. Left to right: Pfc. Richard Bean, U. S. army, (Newport, N. II.), Chief Warrant Officer Joseph D. Joiner, B. S. navy (Atlanta, Ga.), and Yeoman 1-c Mildred H. Dietrich of the WAVES (St. Nazianz, Wise.), learn of chances for future on public lands administered by the Interior department. ter than, that of Virginia, to that of the frozen wastes of the Arctic circle and the fogs and williwaws of the Aleutian islands. Veterans have the same prefer ence accorded to them by the home stead laws of the United States. In addition, where lands are newly opened or restored to homestead entry veterans will be granted a preference right of application for a period of 90 days before the lands become subject to application by the general public. in addition to homesteading tn Alaska, on sites limited to 160 acres, any adult citizen of the United States, whose employer is engaged in trade, mam facturing, or other productive indt *y in Alaska, or who is himself engaged in such business, may purchase one claim, not exceeding 5 acres, of nonmin eral lund at $2.50 an acre, but for not less than a minimum of $10. An applicant for such a tract is re quired to pay the cost of the survey. Any citizen of the United States after occupying land in Alaska as a homestead or headquarters in a habitable house not less than five months each year for three years may purchase such tract, not ex ceeding five acres, if nonmineral in character, at $2.50 an acre, but for not less than a minimum of $10. Such an applicant is not required to pay the cost of the survey. Fur Farming and Mining. Fur farming has been carried on in the territory for a sufficiently long period to demonstrate that the raising of such fur animals as minks and blue foxes is profitable. This is especially true in southeast ern Alaska and along the general coast line where fish, a basic fur animal food, may be procured cheaply. Certain areas of Alaska are ad mirably adapted to the production of fur of good quality, and there is plenty of room for expanding this Industry. There are hundreds of li censed fur farmers in Alaska, the majority of whom are raising minks and blue foxes, although some silver foxes are raised in captivity. Mineral resources are known to be large and varied, and there are undoubtedly large and rich mineral areas still unexplored. Notable evi dence of this has been disclosed by extensive searches for war-needed metals and minerals by the geologi cal survey and the bureau of mines. A large part of the territory’s na tural mineral wealth consists of gold, silver, mercury, antimony, tin, coal, copper, iron, lead and platinum. There also may be con siderable oil reserves in some parts of the country, but to what extent remains largely to be seen. Transportation is, of course, a prob lem. Since Alaska, a natural scenic wonderland and sport fisherman’s paradise, is expected to grow in importance as a vacation land and as a goal for tourists, there will undoubtedly be great opportunities for veterans and others who desire to go into businesses catering to the tourist trade. Tourist facilities are comparatively meager, especially in many picturesque localities off of the beaten path. However, here again, those con templating the establishment of such businesses should do so with their eyes open. It must be remem bered that in many places in Alas ka the tourist season is short, and that the permanent population of the territory is normally less than 100,000 persons, or about one-eighth of the number of persons living in Washington, D. C. As a general rule, It may be said that settlement on public land in Alaska is encouraged but not urged. Those who choose Alaska as their future homes Bhould do so with caution. There is little doubt that ultimately Alaska is destined to be come an important crossroads at the top of the world. It Is a natural way station on air lines to Asia and eastern Europe. But Alaska itself, as well as those who settle there, will be better off if it has an orderly and stable de velopment. It is hoped, for the benefit of all concerned, that sudden rushes of hordes of people with get rich-quick ideas but with no sus tained interest in healthy growth, may be avoided. Dam Projects Could Create A Million Jobs Material Makers as Well As Actual Construction Workers Would Benefit Jobs for thousands of skilled and unskilled workmen will be created in every part of the country when congress approves plans and pro vides funds for building more than 400 irrigation and power projects proposed by the bureau of rec lamation in its $5,000,000,000 post war inventory. Although these proposed irrigation and power projects will be located in the 17 western states, where the bureau of reclamation since 1902 has been responsible for the conserva tion and* wise use of water re sources, their construction will cre ate job opportunities from Maine to California. Behind every man on the con struction job there will be one or more helpers who may be thousands of miles away. An employment analysis of the bureau’s postwar inventory reveals that of the 4,250, 000,000 man-hours of labor required to construct all the projects about 1,650,000,000 man-hours will be re quired at construction sites. Materials from 31 States. The materials needed for rec lamation work, of which such basic products as iron and steel, cement, electrical equipment and supplies, foundry and machine-shop products, and lumber are of primary impor tance, must be obtained from widely separated sources. Much of this ma terial and equipment will come from the 31 states outside the arid and semiarid regions of the west. If funds are made available for construction of all the projects, bureau officials estimate that more than 450,000 men could be put to work the first year, less than half of these at construction sites. At peak employment in the second or third year almost 1,000,000 men could receive pay envelopes In dif ferent parts of the country as a re sult of this mighty effort. Agricultural and industrial enter prises in the West will help to sup port and give homes to servicemen and others who have expressed their desire to settle on irrigated farms. Of the 2,000,000 westerners in the armed forces, it is estimated that 265.000 will want to return to the land. Veteran legislation, authorized and pending, gives servicemen pri ority of settlement on bureau of rec clamation projects. On some proj ects public lands will be open to homestead entry. As of June 30, 1944, the remaining public lands — exclusive of areas acquired through purchase by the government for resettlement, sub marginal land administration, mili tary, or other purposes—consisted of 37,567,096 acres outside of graz ing districts, 130,669,351 acres with in grazing districts, or a total of 168,236,447 acres. Some portions of the west, in fact, have not yet even been surveyed by the government, as indicated by this diagram show ing the ratio of unsurveyed areas in these states. RETURNING SOLDIER "What a country to get back to! . . . Boy, I could make love to its mud puddles, not to mention its rock and rills! . . . The first peep at that statue of Lib. . . . The first look at the homefront skyline! . . . The sky scrapers! . . . The shops, the stores, the houses, even the hotdog stands! . . . The first eyeful of signs a guy can read, of windows with American clothes in ’em, and the names of beers, cigars and people he heard of before! "Sure 1 seen ’em all before, but now they’re in technicolor! • "No klddln’, even a 'No Smoking’ sign in English Is something beauti ful. . . , The words ‘Hamburger and Onions' on a lunehwagon become full of poetry. . . . And every dame I see becomes Hedy Lamar! • "See all them tenements out the car window? . . Okay, to me they’re palaces! . . , See them bill boards boostin’ tooth pastes, stogies, motor grease, the circus and some body’s brewery? . . . Baby, to me they become the world's ten thou sand greatest masterpieces of art and literature! . . . Steve’s Wayside Lunch! . . . I’ll take it over the Rue de la Whozlss! _*_ "Yeah, there’s too many guys around that still got double chins and deadpans. . . . Too many foul balls that don't pay no attention to uniforms, service ribbons and deco rations . . . Too many creeps that give more attention to a loose dime In a train aisle than to a DSC on a marine’s chest. . . . Too many punks don’t even know what your division insignia means. . . . Yeah, and all that, but forget ’em! . . . And get a load of all the faces and smiles and voices and wisecracks and things that spell America, and I don’t mean backwards! _•_ "All that counts Is being back where the papers carry full accounts of the ball games, where nobody wrecks houses except house-wreck era, where you can grab any door knob without thinking It could be a booby trap. _•_ “Look at that taxi driver beating his jaws out In a argument with that laundry truck driver! . . . Boy, it’s like long forgotten sweet music! . . . See that old number in baggy slack setting out lettuce and tomato plants in that two-by-four backyard! . . . Kid to me it’s the Queen of Sheba in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon! • "America! Of thee I sing, and every rattle, flivver horn and every yell of ‘Sock It out, kid’ makes swell accompaniment! . . . Thy woods and templed Mils! . . . Yowsir, even all fouled up with beaneries, tourist camps and liver pill signs, they make the best scenery on earth! «_ "The home-town garbage truck seems like Cinderella's coach end four. . . . The cry ’One up. with mus tard!’ gives me a greater thrill than ‘Lafayette, we are here!’ . . . The white picket fence around my house is a greater sight than all the shrubs and statues around the gardens of Versailles. . . . And I'll swap the Rhine, the Po and the Thames for the water running off my sunporch roof after a June rain. “You can have the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Mediterranean and the English channel for the hrook that runs through Mulligan’s Grove. . . . I’ll trade all the words of Churchill, Roosevelt, Truman, Stalin and Tony Eden and all the music of London and Paris for the sound of a certain party’s voice. . . . You take the Four Freedoms, I’ll take her one smile. . . . There ain’t as much meanin’ in the text of the Charters of Quebec, Bretton Woods, Yalta, Cairo and San Francisco as there Is in seven little words from my mom, ‘I’ve got a homemade pie for you.’ _•_ "Well, the train is pullin’ in now. Home again! Pardon me il I hug a couple of trees and kiss a few buildings. Gangway! Hey, mom! Hey, pop! Hey, honey!’’ _•_ We expeat to visit the place any day now and be introduced to a Vice Commodoress in Charge of Fancier Cocktail Glasses and a Chairlady of the Committee to Tie Ribbons on Moorings. Skipper, an old-fashioned cuspidor, if you pleasel • • • The Japs now threaten to launch an all-out stratosphere balloon at tack on the United States. Person ally we think it is a lot of “ba looney.” • • • What! No Roller Skates? “LIVING room, bedroom, baby and mlsc. furniture. Thermos lunch aet, power mower; 4 cyl. 16 hp. out board with 16 ft. boat. Selmer saxo phone and clarinet and Sapronl. 120 base accordion. 274 Sunset avenue, Englewood ’’—Bergen Record. • • • Getting Really High A proposal to operate bars In air liners is disturbing legislators, as well it may. We wince at the invi tation “See what the boys in the hack-draft will have!’’ CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT • Persons now engaged in essential industry will not apply without state ment of availability horn tbeir local United States Employment Service. _HELP WANTED—MEN _ MR. MECHANIC—It you want to corn* West, a permanent Job Is waiting for you where living expenses are lower. If interested contact Fassler Machine Shop, Akron, Colorado. EXPERIENCED CABINET MAKERS Steady Work. ALFRED BLOOM CO. • OMAHA. NEBS. _FARMS AND RANCHES_ MO PASTURE LAND covered Norway pine, unimproved. Fenced 4 sides, rnffl. $15. Terms. 8 miles northwest Dalton, w. 8. WOOL8EY . Dalton, Nehr. 0