New-York tribune., 1908-12-09

the foot Of the mountains were among the most
fertile on the globe and the whole country was
4 garden. Not the slightest effort was made.
however, TO prevent the unchecked cutting of
the trees or to secure reforestatiOn. Doubtless
/ for many centuries the tree cutting by the IN
ha bitsnts of the mountains worked but slowly
in bringing about the changes that have now
come 10 pass. doubtless Tor generations the in
roads were scarcely nCticesh BILE but there came
3 time when the forest had shrUnE sufficiently
. 70 MAKE eaCh years cutting a serious matter,
and from that time on the destruction proceeded
with appalling rapidity. for Of course each year
OF destruction rendered the forest less able to
Mr.. Meyer describes the ceaseIess progress Of
the destruction ever now when there is so Ti+tIa
left 10 destroy. Every morning n1en and bows
90 out armed with mattox or axe. scale the
steepest mountain sides and cut down and grub
out. root and branch. the small trees and shrubs
sun 70 be found The big trees disappeared
centuries ago. so that now one of these is never
seen save in the neighborhood of temples. where
rheE are artihcialy protected; and even here it
takes all the watch and care of the tree loving
priests TO prevent their destruction Each fam
llS- eaCn community. where there is no common
care exercised IN the interest Of all Of them TO
prevent deforestatton. finds its profit IN the i'm
mediate use Of the fuel which would otherwise
be used bv some other family or some other
community In the total absence Of regufa ton
Of the matter IN the interest Of the whole people
each small group is inevitably pushed into a
policy OF destruction which cannot afford 70
take thought for the morrow. This IS Just one
OF those matters which II IS fatal TO leave 10
unsupervtsed individual control. The forests
can only be protected by the state, by the
ton, and the liberty Of action Of individuals
must be conditioned upon what the state OF
tion determines 10 be necessary for the common
safety.
The lesson Of deforeststfon in Chfna IS q les
son which mankind should have learned many
times already from what has occurred in other
places. Denudetion leaves naked soil: then
gullyfug cuts down TO the bare rock. and mean
while the rock waste buries the bottom lands
When the soil is gone, men must go; and the
process does not take long
This ruthless destruction Of the forests IN
Northern China has brought about. or has aided
IN bringing about. desolation. just as the de-
structlon Of the forests IN Central Asia aids IN
bringing ruin 70 the once rich Central Asian
cities: just as the destruction Of the forests in
Northern Africa helped toward the ruin Of
region that was 4 fertile granary in Roman
days ShortsighCed man. whether barbariC,
serni-civiIfzed or what he mistakenly regards as
fully civilized. when he has destroyed the for
ests has rendered certain the ultimate destruc-
ton Of the land itself. In Northern China
peaks Not only have the forests been de
Etroved but because of their destruction the soil
has been washed of the naked rock. The terri
BE consequence Is Ihat II IS Impossible now 10
undo the damage that has been done. Many
centuries would have 10 pass before soil would
again collect, Or could be made 70 collect, in
sufficient quantity once more 10 support the old
time forest growth n consequence the MOugOl
Desert is practically extending eastward over
Northern China The climate has changed and
is still changing. It has changed even within
the last half century, as the work Of tree de-
struction has been contaminated The great
masses Of arbOreaI vegetation On the mountains
formerly absorbed the heat Of the sun and sent
currents OF cool which brought the moist
ure laden clouds lower ana forced them 10 pre-
Cipitate IN rain q part Of their burden OF water.
Now that there IS no vegetation the barren
noun Cains, scorChed by TIE sun send up cur
rents Of heated air which drive away instead Of
attracting the rain clouds and cause their
moisture 10 be disseminated. In consequence,
instead Of the regular and plentiful rains which
existed in these regions Of China when the for
ests were still in evidence, the unfortunate in
hsb sbitants Of the deforested lands now see their
crops wither for lack Of rainfall, while the sea
sons grow more and more irregular; and as the
air becomes dryer certain crops refuse longer 10
grow At all That everything 1rleS out faster
than formerly is shown BY the fact that the
leveI Of the wells all the land has sunk per
ceptibIy. many Of them having become totally
drv In addition 70 the resulting agricultural
distress the water courses have changed. For
-ne-1,- rhAy we're narrow and deep with an
2 br11dance Of clear water the year around; for
the roots and humus Of the forests caught the
rainTvateT and Jet II escape by slow, regular
seepage. They have now become broad shaI-
low stream beds in which muddy water trtckieS
IN slender currents during the dry seasons. while
when IL rains there are freshets, and roaring
muddy torrents come tearing down, bringing
disaster and destruction everywhere Moreover
these foods and freshets. which diversity the
general dryuess. wash away from the mountain
gi5ae ard either wash away or cover IN the
"a lIev-s the rich fertile soil which II took tens
of thousands Of years for nature 70 form ana
# IS lost forever. and until the forests grow
again II cannot be replaced The sand and
stones from the nOuntainsides are washed
loose and come rolling down 70 cover the ara
b1e lands. and in consequence. tlroughout lII7
mart or China many formerly rich districts are
now sandy va stes, useless for human cu-tlVa-
rion and even for pasture. The cities nave oeen
~ course seriously affected. for the streams
have gradually ceased to be 0avigahle There
&c testimony that even within the memory OF
men now living there has been a serious dimi-
mutton OF the rainfall OF Northea stern China
- Ta,-a1 of the S1Iuzarf River in Northern
has been sensibly lowered during the
Iae+ aftv Years at least partly as the result OF
+T,a indis-riruinate cuttings Of the forests form
80. {+s watershed. Almost all the rivers OF
>-o-+7e-u china have become unControllahie ana
80 dangerous TO the dwHllers along their
The forests The journey from PeEing 10 Jehoi
shows in melancholy fashion how the soiI mas
Z -, -ashed avav from whole valleys, so that
g. have been converted into deserts
i ~-o-t7.arn China this disastrous process nas
.r-a on so long and has proceeded so Tar that
: :, ---r.+s remedy could be applied There are
-e--a3r ,,,o71u+ai1s in china from Which me solI
&c vora So utterly that only the SLOW acil"n OF
tre apes rould again restore IT, although or
co,rsg ,,,,cl7 could be done 70 prevent the Sun
further eastward extension "i me 'I.iIE '.iei.
Desert - the chinese government would act AZ
Cnre T,le scc,y,,y,a ryiuc cuts from photographs
show the inccnceivable desolatlon 'l the barren
mountains in which certain Of these rivers rise
mountains be il remembered. "hl"h I"fHlTtY
dense forests OF larches and frs. now
unable 10 produce any Wooa' anu -. -'t,,1,
their condition a source II danger 10 the Wu"i'
country. The photographs also sho" tAe same
rivers after they have passed through Ii li',i -,
taius. the beds having become broad ana SAM
because Of the deforestston or the mountains
one u the photographs shows caravan pass
were foreste6. il was thickIY pecpied |
bE prosperous peasants Now the foods M /
arrted destruction all over the isnd ana me !
- slle- is STONY desert Another photograph |
shows mountain road covered with me stoiler /
and rocks that are brought down in the rainy !