Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-12-09
rAe MESSAGE.
.-.tcontinued from Page Four. !

that inevitably follow such reckless cut
ting Of ofnber or to reckless and un-
migratory bands Of sheep. the unchecketi
wandering of which over the country
means destruction to forests and disaster
to the small home makers, the settlers of
shortsighted persons. Or persons blind
ed to the future by desire to make money
n every :soav way out Of TIE present; some,
he done by the reckless destruction Of our
forests. 1t is didicult to have patience
With the argnme1ts 9f these persons.
use of our splendid forests. we nave al
ready crossed the verge of timber fam
Inc in this country. and no measures that
years. undo the mischief that has al
really bean done. But we can prevent
further mischief being done; and It would
to let, any consideration of temporary
convenience or temporary cost interfere
with such action, especially as regards
the National Forests which the nation
can now. at this very moment, control
All serious students of the question are
aware of the great dnmase that has been
Europe. Asia, and Africa by deforesta-
ton The similar damage that has been
done in Eastern Asia is less well known
So,th China Ey Mr.. Frank Fran sps n. Never. n.
Of the Bureau of Plant Industry of the
United States Department OF Agriculture.
has incidentally furnished in very striking
fashion proof of the ruin that comes from
reckless defOrestation of mountains, and
Of the further. fact that the damage once
done may prove practically irreparablc. So
important are these Investigations thet 1
herewith attach as an appendix to MY
message certain photographs showing
present conditions in China They show
taking the shape of barren mountains ard
gravel and sand-covered plains. which
Immediately follows and depends upon the
many centuries ago the country of north
ern China was one of the most fertile and
beautiful spots in the entire world, and
only from the old Chinese records, but
from the accounts given by the traveller,
Marco Polo, He, for instance, n antions
ana aat shens m e G
of mulberry. trees. Now there is hardly
a single mulberry tree in either of these
and the culture Of the ss
gions Of atmospheric moisture. AS an
illustration of the complete change il, tie
rivers we may take a., Polo,s statement that hat
and deep that merchants .asaended it
from the sea with heavily laden boats;
today this this river is simply broad sandy
dering hither and tbither across it, ahso-
hltely unnavigable. But we do not have
to depend upon written records. The dry
wells. and the wells with water fan. below,
the former .wateimark. bear testimony
to 'he good days of the past and the evil
days OF. the present. Wherever the native
as for instance. here and there around a
sacred teri pie or imperial burying ground:
there are still huge trees aud tangled
forests The thick. matted forest growth
formerly covered the mountains To their
SUBMITS. All natural factors favored this
asnsf as f%rss' %as e an' exist Ghe the
plains at the foot Of the noun
tans we're we ohs among tt the wbn1 most ontv fer
was wa "a a garden Not the slightest effort
was made. however, to prevent the un-
checked cutting of the trees, NJ to Sc
centuries the tree-cutting by ttr inhabi-
tant:; Of the mountains worked but slow
ly in bringing about the changes that
have now come to pass: doubtless Tor
generations the inruads were scarcely no.
ticeable. But there came time when
the forest had SHRINK sufficiently to
make each years cutting q serious MS, mat
tion proceeded with appalling rapidityi
for Of course each year of destruction
rendered the forest less able to rec'iper-
ate less able to resist next years ininad.
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 out armed with
mattrox or axe. scale the steepest noun
tain sides.Sand cut down and grub out;
root and branch. the small trees and
disappeared. centuries ago. so that now
one OF these is never seen save in the
neighborhood of temples, where they are
takes ali the watch and care of the tree
loving priests to prevent their destluc-
ton. Each family. each community.
cised in the interest of all of them to
prevent deforestation. finds its yrofit in
the immediate use OF the fuel which
would otherwise be used by some other
family or some other community. In the
total absence of regulation of the matter
in the interest of the whole people: each
policy of destruction which can not af-
for5 to take thought for the morrow.
This is just one Of those matters which it
is fatal to leave to unsupervised indivi-
dual control The forests can only be
protected bv the State. by the Nation:
and the liberty of action of individuals
must be conditioned upon what the Srate
or Nation determines to be necessary for
the common safety.
The lesson of deforestation in China is
a lesson which mankind should have
learned mary times already from what
has occurred in other places. Denudation
leaves naked soil; then outlying cuts
down to the bare rock: and meanwhle
the rock-waste burieS the hottomlands;
When the sell is gone, men must go; and
the process does not take long:
This ruthless destruction of thu, forests
has aided in bringing about. desolatlon.
just as the destruction of the forests
in central Asia aid in b'lnelng rum 10
the once rich central Asian cities; Just as
the destruction of the forests in northern
Africa helped towards the ruin Of re-
gion that was a fertile, granary in Ro.
man days. Shortsighted man. whether
barbaric semi-civilized, or what he snls-
takenly regards as fully civilized, when
he has DESTROYED the forests. has rem
dered certain the ultimate destruction
Of the land itself. In northern emma ths
mountains are now such as are shown oy
the accompanying photographs, ahsoiite-
ests been destroyed. hut because q ,heir
destruction the soil has been washed on
the naked rock The terrible consequence
IS that it is impossible now to UNDO one
damage that has been done. MANY cen,
turies would have to pass before sou
would again collect, or could be mace 70
collect. in sufficient quantity once more
to support the oid-time forest growth. In
CONSEQUENCE the Mongol Desert IS ptac,
tica1ly extending eastward over northein
China. The climate has changed au! Is
still changing. 1t has changed even Wltnc IL
in the last half century. as the work 81 ~
tree destruction has been consui1imat;su,
The great masses of arborea! vegetation
on the mountains formerly absorbed the
heat Of the sun and sent up ctnren.sa ae,, a.,
cool air which brought the moisture
clouds lower and forced them 70 prer
c{pitatc in rain part Of their Dulnen ol
water Now that there is no vegeta-