Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-13
PRESIDENTS SPEECH
CONTINUED from First Page.)

Roman empire while the service OF the
posts was probably inferior.
In Washington's time anthracite coal
was known only as useless black stone;
and the great fields Of bituminous coal
were undiscovered. AS steam was I'M
known. the use Of coal for power produc-
tion was undreamed OF. Water was
practically the only source Of power. save
the labor of men and animals; and this
power was used only in the most primi-
, tive fashion But a few small iron depos-
its had been found in this country. and
the use of iron by our countrymen was
very small. Wood was practically the
only fuel. and what lumber was sawed
was consumed locally. while the forests
were regarded chiefly as obstructions to
settlement and cultivation.
such was the degree OF progress to
which civilized mankind had attained
when this nation began its career. 1t is
almost impossible for us in this day to
realize how little our revolutionary ances-
tors knew of the great store of natural
resources whose discovery and use have
been such vital factors in the growth and
greatness of this nation. and how little
they required to take from this store in
order to satisfy their needs.
Growth Of the Nation.
Since then our knowledge and use of the
resources Of the present territory of the
United States have increased a hundred
fold. Indeed. the growth of this nation by
leaps and bounds makes one of the most
striking and important chapters in the
history of the world. Its growth has
been due to the rapid development, and
alas! that 1t should be said. to the rapid
destruction. of our natural resources. Ma
ture has supplied to us in the United
States. and still supplies to Us. more kinds
of resources in a more lavish degree than
has ever been the case at any other time
or with any other people. Our position in
the world has been attained by the extent
and thoroughness Of the control We have
achieved over nature. but we are more
and not less. dependent upon what she
furnishes than at any previous time OF
history since the days of primitive man.
Yet our fathers. though they knew so
little Of the resources OF the country. ex-
ercised a wise forethought in reference
thereto. Washington clearly saw that the
perpetuity of the states could only be Sc
cured by union and that the only feas-
IDLE basis of union was an economic one:
in other words. that it must be based on
the development and use Of their natural
resources. Accordingly. he helped to out
line a scheme of commercial development.
and by his influence an interstate water
ways commission was appointed by Vir-
ginia and Maryland.
1t met near where we are now meeting.
in Alexandria. adjourned to Mount Yer
non. and took up the consideration Of in
terstate commerce by the only means then
available. that Of water. Further confer
ences were arranged. first at Annapolis
and then at Philadelphia. 1t was in
Philadelphia that the representatives Of
all the states met for what was in its or
iginal conception merely a waterways
conference: but when they had closed
their deliberations the outcome was the
Constitution which made the states into
a nation.
The Constitution Of the United States
thus grew in large part out Of the neces-
sity for united action in the wise use Of
one Of our natural resources. The wise
use Of all Of our natural resources. which
are our national resources as we'll. is the
great material question of today. I have
asked you to come together now because
the enormous consumption Of these re-
sources. and the threat of imminent ex-
haustion Of some of them, due to reck-
less and wasteful use. once more calls
for common effort, common action.