The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-05-18
Interesting Light Thrown on
White House Meeting for
Conservation of Nations y
Resources.
PERSONALITY OF PRESIDENT
Diplomatic, Human and Tactful--
Threat TO Get Money Despite
Congress Glimpse of the
Strenuous.
Editorial Corrcsnondencc.l J.

Washington, d, G.. May, 190s.-It
will be very long time before the
impression made upon the visiting
governors Of sovereign states and
their accompanying delegates by the
conference called by President Roose-
welt to consider the conservation of
natural resources loses its character.
For the first time In the history OF
the country the chief man In tne ma
ton has sat In human conference with
the head men OF the several states Of
the union for the purpose of consider
ing common needs, an event suffici-
emily interesting and dlvertins in IT.
self to set the imagination working
at rapid pace; for the first time in
over forty years there has been
national political pow-wow OF
states representing every section OF
the country without the casting of
sectional shadow To accomplish that
was enough to justify the ASSEMBLING
o. the conference.
The philosophy of the conference
drew its inspiration from the intense
interest taken by President Roosevelt
and Clifford Pinchot, the nations for
ester, in the conservation OF the
country's national resources. the SOIL
the timber lands, the iron and coal
mines and the water ways. The chief
value of the conference will be found
to lie in the assured fact that now
| in every one of the states of the union
there are men Of influence with sheir
fellows who can the more effectively
arouse public interest In the serious.
ness of the problem. which confronts
the country, from the attention they
are giving 1t as a consequence "
having heard the addresses made al
Washington.
The difficulty with all such und ,r.
takings Is that the actors In them
pass soon from the stage of action and
leave practically IN control of tae nat
uial resources Of the country those
who are lmpelled by selfish motives OF
a commercial character to exploit
them for present purposes The de.
nudation of timber lands, the waste.
full methods Of mining coal, the ex.
travagant use of iron, the inattentior
given the Improvement of the water
ways, etc, can all be accounted for
on the ground of mans determination
to make the demands Of a day sutfic.
lent unto themselves. Whether that
human tendency can be retarded OF
restrained by conferences between The
president of the United States and
tho governors of The sovereign states
or by legislation which they together
may force the enactment Of remains
to be seen. There Is also to be con.
sidered whether the human selfish.
ness, which has led to the enforce.
ment of these destructive policies
may not Of itself become the power
which will force a policy Of construc.
ton and conservation.
But 1t is rather of the personal as.
poets of the conference that ! wish
to write to the readers and friends OF
The Journal Courier. Those interest.
e | In the more technical aspects of the
.three-day conference can easily fad
way of gratifying their curiosity
Whether the conference will result
in any one Of the practical steps Pres
ident Roosevelt and Mr. Pinchot want
taken or not, 1t has already resulted
! in sentimental achievement lot to
: BIZ underestimated. The superb East
room in the White House, where the
meetings were held morning and at.
ternoon, except during the hours de-.
J voted to the conference itself, became
|, the easy source Of social exchanges
tween the members. Justices Of the
supreme court, members of the presi.