The Somerset reporter., 1908-06-25
The Nations Dependence upon
Nature.

An Abstract of Phi Beta Kappa Grafton
/ of George Otis Smith, Director U. S.
Geological Survey:-delivered at Colby
( College Commencement, Wateville, Me-,
Tuesday Evening, June 23
Alexander, Caesar, and Napoleon
sought to create empires by exacting
tribute from their neighbors. Wash
ineton, jefferson, and Roosevelt have
established a nation by the develop
ment of its own resources.
Washington's vision of the nations
future was based not only upon his
faith in his own countrymen, but also
upon his knowledge of his country.
He realized as probably no other
statesman of his day realized, the
natural resources of the land, and
this knowledge was that of an Amer
lean who had explored what was then
the Far West, and who was leader IN
the development projects of his time.
President Roosevelt's State papers
have again and again contained stir
ring appeals to the law makers to
make adequate provision for the CON
servation of the nations natural
resources. No other Chief Executive
since Washington has given equal
prominence to tAis line OF practical
craftsmanship. | believe that future
historians will record no greater
achievement of Theodore Roosevelt
than this that in the day of spectac-
ular industrial development, time
when it is all too easy 10 be optlmis-
tic and short sighted, he saw clearly
that Americas natural wealth is not
/ inexhaustible; and so invited the
representatives of the sovereign
states to meet in conference the
Chief Executive of the sovereign ma
tion with the declared purpose OF
taking steps to preserve Tor future
needs the nations heritage.
This age of great material develop
ment still has need of the scholar OF
classical training, who, familiar with
the past, can apply to the problems
of our nations. The engineer is com
ing into a practical appreciation OF
the everyday necessity for conserVa-
ton; but the men of liberal train
ing-the professional men, teachers,
preachers, and lawyers-as moulders
of public opinion must each help to
awaken the public conscience to a
realization of the true issue. My
topic is one which should appeal to
the patriotic scholarship of Colby,
lust as the nations call of nearly
fifty wears ago stirred to action the
most talented students of this col
lege. Our Presidents well-consi-
dered appeal in this time of peace
should arouse the new type OF
patriotism no less than did Lincoln's
call to arms inspire a new devotion
to the nation. The present issue is
as paramount as was that of 1860,
though it NAV be one to which the
optimist is better able to shut his
eyes.
The United States leads the world
in every important form OF natural
wealth. whether it be the product of
the farm or of the mine. Our wheat
crop forms p per cent. of the worlds
harvest, our corn crop rs per cent,
and our cotton crop 81 per cent. So,
also, in the matter of live stock, our
herds and flocks comprise II per cent.
of the worlds grand total. Take the
more important mineral, our output
of coal is 90 per cent, of iron ore and
oil at least so per cent.
Our natural wealth is therefore
fayorite topic with the statesman, and
every exponent of Americanism Is
fond of asserting that this nation Is
the greatest creator of wealth OF all
countries, and that the resources OF
the United States-which forms less
than per cent of the earth S sur
face-aimost equal the combined
resources of all other nations that
might be deemed rivals. But rarely
do orators exhibit the other side
of the shields-the national waste.
Even when recognized by public men
this topic fails TO inspire, although
the inglorious waste as well deserves
our consideration as does the glorious
wealth. But scientists and business
men are now uniting in calling atten-
ton to the spendthrift character of
the American people, 1t was not a
frenZied alarmist but a hard headed
man of science who also wrote that
future historians will date the end
of barbarism from the time when
generations began to feel that they
rightfully had no more than life
estate in this sphere, with no right to
squander the inheritance of their
kind" The reform that is so sorely
needed must gain its motive power
not from the well-intentioned en-
thusiasm of the few, but from the
informed intelligence of the
many. The campaign for conserva-
ton must be one of education.
Nowhere has progress i'll civiliza-
ton and in material development
been more marked than in our own
country. At the time of the first
settlements on these SHORES the world
contented itself with the use OF a
score or SO of different minerals;
today our reports of the mineral in.
dustry of the country take account
of nearly 100 different mineral sub
stances. Recent improvements in
electric lamps, for instance, have
created a neW use for the rare metals,
so that the whole world Is being
explored for commercial deposits OF
substances that few years ago were
only meteorological curiosities.
The increase in our per capita pro-
duction aud consumption of natural
resources perhaps furnishes the best
index of the increasing dependence
of the nation upon its natural re-
sources. At the outbreak OF the
Civil War the per capita consump-
ton of coal in this country was only
a little over one-half ton; in 1900 1t
was about 81 tons; but in 1907 the
consumption had increased TO 81 tons.
In 1850 our per capita consumption
of lumber was $50 board feet; today
it is undoubtedly close to 800 board
feet. In 1870 our per capita produc-
ton of iron ore was 100 pounds; last
year it exceeded half a ton. Other
metals might be cited, where the in