The San Francisco call., 1908-12-09

forever. and until the forests grow
again it can not be replaced. The sano
and stones from the mountain SIDES are
washed loose and come rolling down TO
cover the arabic lands, and IN conse-
ouence throughout this part OF emma,
many formerly rich districts are nov 'T
sandy wastes, useless for human cul-
tivatton and even for pasture. Inc
cities have been of course seriously
affected. for the streams nave grauuallS
ceased to be naVigable. Ihefe is teS-
tirnonv that even within the memory
of men now living there mas peeh
serious diminution of the raln1ail OF
Sungari river in northern Manchurla
has been sensibly lowered during tne tne
last so years, at least partly as the
result of the indiscriminate cutting OF
the forests forming its watershed.
Almost all the rivers OF northeFn
China have become uncontrollaole, ana
very dangerous to the dwellers alons
their banks as a direct result OF the
destruction of the forests. The journey
from Peking to Jehol shows IN melan-
choly fashion how the soil has Deen
that they have been converted into
deserts.
In northern China this disastrous
process has gone on SO long ana faS faS
s. tbst no complete
Northern China remedy could be
Is Now without annlied. There are
Complete Remedy certain mountains
IN china lIoil
which the soil is gone so utterly that
only the slow action of the ages could
again restore it; although of course
much could be done TO prevent the
still further eastward extension of the
Mongolian desert if the Chinese gov
ernment would act at once. The ac-
companying cuts from photographs
show the inconceiYa BILE desolation of
the barren mountains in which certain
of these rivers rise-mountains, be II
remembered which formerly supported
dense forests of larches and frs, now
unable to produce any wood, and be-
cause of their condition a source of
danger to the whole country The pho.
tographs also show the same rivers
mountains, the beds having become
broad and sandy because of the defor
estation of the mountains. One of the
photographs shows caravan passing
through valley. Formerly, when the
mountains were forested, it was thickly
peopled by prosperous peasants. Now
the foods have carried destruction all
over the land and the valley is a stony
desert Another photograph shows
mountain road covered with the stones
and rocks that are brought down in
the rainy season from the mountains
which have already been deforested by
human hands Another shows pebbly
river bed in southern Manchuria where
what was once great stream has
dried up owing TO the deforestation in
the mountains. Only some scrub wood
is left. which will disappear within
a half century. Yet another shows the
effect Of one of the washouts, destroy
ing an arabic mountain side. these
washouts being due to the removal of
ali vegetation: yet in this photograph
the foreground shows that reforesta-
tion is still possibility In places.
What has thus happened in north
ern China. what has happened in
central Asia, in Palestine, in north
Africa in noun}ads Rarts of of 1hs hSrope Meditsr w
surely happen in our country If we
do nor exercise that wise forethought
which should be one of the chief marks
of any people calling itself civilized;
Nothing should be permitted to stand
in the way of the preservation of the
forests. and it is criminal to permit
individuals to purchase a little gain
for themselves through the destruc. =
fatal to the well being of the whole
country in the future.
Action should be begun forthwith,
during the present session of the con-
gress. for the i'm
Waterways I'm inland waterways
Iresetas PreSensn Needed @ nftion wn ssnY+ n
= :, -. giving wiiii us srne not onIy ~
navigable but navigated rivers. We
have spent hundreds of millions of
dollars upon these waterways, yet the
traffic on nearly all of them is steadily
declining. This condition Is the direct
result of the absence of any compre-
hensive and far seeing plan. of water
way Improvement. Obviously we can
not continue thus to expend the reve-
nues of the government without re-
turn 1t is poor business to spend
money for inland navigation unless we
inquiry into the condition of the
Mississippi and its principal tributaries
reveals very many instances of the
utter waste caused by the methods
which have hitherto obtained for the
so called Improvement" of navigation
A striking instance is supplied by
the Improvement of the Ohio. which,
single plan for half century.
In 1875 a new plan was adopted and
followed for quarter OF a century.
In 1902 still A different plan was
adopted and has since been pursued
at 2 rate which only promises a navi-
gable river in from 20 TO 100 years
Snch shortsighted. vacillatine. and
futile methods are accompanied by de-
creasing water borne commerce and
increasing traffic congestion. on land,
by increasing floods; and by the waste
OF public money. The remedy lies in
abandoning the methods which have
so signally failed and adopting new
ones in keeping with the needs and
demands of our people.
In a report on measure introduced
at the first session of the present
!, congress the sec
iDe,ar,ment Needs retary I.srs e,,s Of war said:
Executive Head In tha nathoIs
ito Originate Plans hitherto pursued
= lies in the absence
of executive authority for originating
comprehensive plans covering the coun-
try or natural ivisions thereof" In
this opinion i heartily concur. The
present methods not only fail to give
us inland navigation. but they are in
virtually a permanent detail of the
corps Of engineers to civilian duty