The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1908-12-08


lar damage that has been done in
Eastern Asia is less well known. A
in North China by Mr. Frank N. Mey-
er, OF the Bureau of Plant Industry of
the United States Department of Ag-
riculture, has incidentally furnished
in very striking fashion proof of the
ruin that comes from reckless defOr-
estation of mountains, and of the
further fact that the damage once
done may prove practically irrepar-
able. So important are these inves-
legations that 1 herewith attach as
an appendix to my message certain
photographs showing present condi-
tions in China. They show in vivid
fashion the appalling desolation, TAX
ing the shape of barren mountains
and gravel and sand-covered plains,
which Immediately follows and de-
ponds upon the deforestation of the
mountains. Not many centuries ago
the country of northern China was
one of the most fertile and beautiful
spots in the entire world, and was
heavily forested. We know this not
only from the old Chinese records,
but from the accounts given by the
traveller, Marco Polo. He, for in
stance, mentions that in visiting the
provinces of Shansi and Shensl he OBJ
served many plantations of mulbeI-
ry trees. Now there is hardly a sin
gle mulberry tree in either of these
provinces, and the culture of the silk
worm has moved farther south, to re-
in the rivers, we may take oPlo's
an illustration of the complete change
in Their ivers, We may take Polo's
statement that a certain river, the
Hun Ho, was so large and deep that
merchants scend It from the sea with
heavily laden boats; today this river
is simply a broad sandy bed, with
shallow, rapid currents wandering
hither and thither across it, absolute
ly unnavigable But we do not have
to depend upon written records. The
dry spells, and the wells with water
far below the former watermark, bear
testimony to the good days of the
past and the evil days of the present.
Whatever the native vegetation has
teen allowed to remain, as. for in
stance. here and there around a
sacred temple or imperial burying
ground, there are still huge trees and
tangled jungle, fragments of the glo-
Iious ancient forests. The thick,
matted forest growth formerly COW
cred the mountains to their SUBMITS.
All natural factors favored this dense
forest growth, and as long as it was
permitted to exist, the plains at the
foot of the mountains were among the
most fertile on the globe, and the
whole country was 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 inhabitants of the
less for many centuries the tree-cut-
ting by the inhabitants of the noun
t,lins worked but slowly in bringing
about the changes that have now
come to pass; doubtless for genera
lions the inroads were scarcely no
ticeable. But there came a time
when the forest had shrunk sufficient
ly to make each years cutting seri'
Gus matter, and from that time on
the destruction proceeded with ap
palling rapidity; for of course each
year of destruction rendered the for
est less able to recuperate, less able
to resist next years inroad. Mr.
Meyer describes the ceaseless prog
ress of the destruction even now
when there is so little left to destroy
Every morning men and boys go ou
armed with mattox or axe, scale the
steepest mountain sides, and cut dowr
and grub out, root and branch, the
small trees and shrubs still to BIZ
found. The big trees disappeared
centuries ago, so that now one o.
these is never seen save in the neigh
borhood of temples. wher they are
artificially protected; and even herr
it takes all the watch and care of thu
tree-loving priests to prevent thel
destruction. Each family, each CON
munity where there is no common
care exercised in the interest of al
of them to prevent deforestatton
finds its profit in the immediate us
Of the fuel which would otherwis
be used by some other family or som
other community. In the total al
sence of regulation of the matter i
the interest of the whole people, eac
small group is inevitably pushed int
a policy of destruction which can nc
afford to take thought for the morrow
This is just one of those matter
which it is fatal to leave to unsupe
vised individual control. The forest
can only be protected by the State b
the Nation; and the liberty Of actio
of individuals must be conditioned III
on what the State or Nation dete
mines to be necessary for the con
mon safety.
The lesson of deforestation in Oh
ma is a lesson which mankind shout
have learned many times alread
from what has occurred in oth6
places. Denudation leaves naked sol