The Washington times., 1908-05-13

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producing power is Diminishing
instead of increasing"
from this store in order TO satisfy their
needs.
Since then our knowledge and use Of
the resources Of the present territory OF
the United states have Increased nun
dred fold. Indeed, the growth OF THIS
nation by leaps and bounds makes one
Of the most striking and important
chapters ia the history OF the world.
Its growth has been due 10 the rapid
development, and. alasl THAI IL should
be said, 10 the rapid destruction OF our
natural resources.
Nature 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 ease at any other time or
with any other people. Our posi-
ton 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 fur
niShes than at any previous time
of history since the days of primi-
tive man.
Yet cur fathers, though they knew
so little Of the resources Of the COun-
try, exercised a wise IOTCJhOuguL In
reference thereto. washington clearly
saw that the perpetuity OF the States
could only be secured by union. and
that the only feasible basis of union
was ara economic one. iu other words,
that 81 must be based on the develop
ment and use of their natural resources.
Accordingly, he helped 70 outline
scheme Of commercial development, and
by his influence an interstate water
ways commission was appointed by Viz
ginia and Maryland.
IL met noa- where we are now meet
Ing, IN Alexandria ad iourued 10 Mt,
Vernon. and took I'D the consideration
Of interstate commerce by the only
means then available. that Of water.
Further conferences We're arranged,
first al Annapolis, and then at Phil4-
deIphia It was In Philadelphia that the
representative OF all the States met for
what was IA It's original conception
merely a waterways conference, but
when tnov had closed their deliberations
the outcome was the Constitution which
made the States into q nation.
Fhe Constitution OF the United states
thus grew in large part out or the ne
cessitv for united action in the wis
use Of one of our natural resource
The wise use OF all of our natural re-
sources. which are our national resources
as wei. IS the great material question
of today.
| have asked you to come to-
gether now because the enormous
consumption Of these resources, and
the threat Of imminent exhaustion
Of some Of them, due 90 reckless
and wasteful use, once more calls
for common effort, common action.
A Great Revolution
Since the days when the Constitution
was adopted, steam and electricity have
yss7'utlonlzed the Industrial world. No
where has the revolution been so great
as in our own country. The discovery
and utilization of mineral fuels and
alloys have given us the lead over all
cthe- nations I'm the production Of steel
The discovery and utilization OF coal
end iron have given us our railways,
and have Tel 20 such Industrial develop
ment as has never before been seen.
The vast wealth Of lumber in our for
ests the riches Of our soils and mines
the discovery OF gold and mineral oils.
combined with The efficiency or our
transportation. have made the condi-
lions Of our life unparalleled In COM
fort ana convenience.
,The steadily increasing drain on these
natural resources has promoted TO an
extraordinary degree the -cumpleNIty OF
our Industrial ard social ne More
over. this uneXampled development mas
had a determining effect upon tns cn ~,
acter and opinions or uuC People. me
demand for efficiency IN the great TASK
has given us vigor, effectiveness, ae-
cision, and power, and capaclly ~
achievement which in Its own hhes Hds
never. vet been matched. SO great anu
ca ray,id has bpeu our material growth
that there has been a tendency 70 las
behind in spiritual and moral grown >
INT that is not the subject upon WHICH
I speak to you today.
DigreRarding for the moment the ques-
tfor OF moral purpose. IL Is safe TO say
that the prosperity Of our people de-
Dends directly on the energy ana IN
teIlfgence with when our natural re
sol-rces are used. IT is equally clear
that these resources are the tnal oasis
of national power and perpetuity- Flnal-
". II IS OminOusly evident tnaI LheSe
resources are in the course Of rapid eN-
haustiOu
This, nation began with the belief that
its landed possessions were illlmlJable
and canable Of supporting all the peO-
ple who might care TO make 0uG sun
try their home, but already the limit OF
unsettled land is in sight. and indeed.
but little land fitted for agriculture now
remains unoccupied, save what can be
reclaimed by irrigation and drainage.
We began with an I'm approached herit-
age of forests: more than half or the
timber Is gone. We began with coal
nelds more extensive than those or any
other nation, and with iron ores regard
ed as ineXhaustible, and many experts
now declare that the end Of both iron
and coal Is in sight.
The mere increase in our con-
sumption of coal during 1907 over
1906 exceeded the total eOnsump-
ton I'm 1876, the Centennial year.
The enormous stores Of mineral oil
and gas are largely gone. Our nat
ural waterways are not gone, but
they have been so injured by neg
lect, and by the division of respOn-
sibility and utter lack of system in
dealing with them, that there is
less navigation on them now than
there was fifty years ago.