In its latest development the West, in the face of new conditions, was forced to abandon its idea of individualism in favor of co-opera tion and governmental activity under the power ful arm of national authority —which was re garded as necessary for the construction of ex pensive irrigation works for utilization of the arid lands, and to protect public resources from absorption by the captains of industry.
In the recent World War, the West, in spite of its earlier indifference and its strongly anti American and pacifist areas, was awakened by the stirring speeches of Roosevelt and President Wilson, and proved loyal to duty in a great cause.
The frontier \Vest exerted a useful influ ence in producing in American life a renewal of the principles of free government upon the republic was founded, in keeping alive the principles of democracy in the midst of great accumulations of wealth, in widening the scope of the national government in meet ing popular needs for 'public improvements,' in. determining a liberal public land policy based on the idea of homesteads for a democracy of small landholders, in establishing systems of free education culminating in co-educational State universities and in furnishing a reason for the maintenance of a small defensive force of national troops. It provided the way to the fortunate erection of logical and permanent boundaries of the republic at the borders of the Pacific. After the achievasont of continental occupation it eon t for ex tension of Ataeflsif trocacy of a vigorous f merchant marine and its latest influence appears in the recent movements for extension of popular participation in govern ment through direct primaries, initiative and referendum and woman suffrage — movements widely popularized by the sympathetic attitude of President Roosevelt who understood the spirit of the West by a period of residence and by close study of its history and problems.
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