Omaha daily bee., 1908-05-10
Rivals in Importance Adoption Of
Federal Constitution.
STATES AND NATION ON LEVEL
Common Ground on Which Important
Subjects May BE Discussed.
NO SET PROGRAM YET ARRANGED
Questions VIII He Presented by
Experts and Discussion VIII
Cover wide Range
Social Functions.
cFrom a staff Correspondent


/ WASHINGTON. May 9--(special )His-
/ tory will be made at this weeks White
| House conference on ratural resources,
unless all signs fail For history making
| Che conditions are remarkably favorable.
/ Never before has a president of the United
States conferred with all the governors or
/ the states. Never before has the White
! House. with It's long record Of social and
| state functions, sheltered large conven-
! ton called for the consideration of a great
public issue. And never before has the
whole broad question of the conservation
of this country's natural resources been
| brought before a great delberative body
as the sole subject of its consideration.
! The reception accorded this project indi-
Gates that the people Of the country expect
definite results of far-reaching character.
/ But no cut-and-dried program will be pre-
| sented for the consideration of the gov
ernors and delegates. After hearing from
| experts the conditions which the country
is facing the members of the conference
! will themselves decide whether anything
! ought to be done, and what. Some have
suggested the advisability of forming
great national organization to carry for
ward the plans originated in the confer
ence. The probability is that, at the least,
/ bOiNe DdSlS Will bt lhlu lbI iuAhlt 1o-'p'io-
tion between the federal and state govern
ments in a vigorous policy of conservation.
for one of the things which will be shown
most forcibly at the conference is that
neither the states nor the federal govern
ment can make satisfactory headway inde-
pendently.
Meeting to BE Historic.
The present situation is much the same
as was faced Just before the adoption of
the federal constitution. and the more en-
thusiastic believe that the coming confer
ence will have Just as far-reaching results,
and become quite historic, as those meet
| ings which led up to the formation of the
constitution. They recall that the whole
| question of constitution had It's direct
! origin in a meeting promoted by George
Washington for the consideration Of the
control aud development OF the Potomac.
That conference met at Alexandria In l7e5
and consisted Of representatives from Vir-
! gnia and Maryland. But it was decided
that the questions involved were too extern
| sive for two states TO handle, and so an
/ other conference was called to meet at
! Annapolis in 1855. More OF the states were
represented here but still not enough And
! so the third con ference was called to meet
the following year In Philadelphia. This
conference, at which all of the states were
/ represented. developed into the constitu-
| tional convention and became the most inn
! portant meeting in American history.
The detailed arrangements for the con-
ference accord with the Importance of the
discussion and with the prominence OF the
men in attendance For the meeting the
! famous East room Of the White House will
/ be quite transformed Along the east wall
will be placed a combined framework and
platform fifty-two feet in length and nine
teen feet high, This will be artistically
covered with green velvet, trimmed with
gold rope. The purpose OF such large
framework is to afford a proper setting
for two giant maps of the United States,
made by the forest service, to which con-
stant reference will be made.
Details of Illustrations.
At the center of the framework. and be-
tween the maps, will be unique arrange
ment for the display Of Illustrations In
/ the framework at a convenient height will
he rectangular opening measuring three
by four feet, To ut into this opening
large number of hand-coored transparenclcs
have been made. The pictures closely ac-
cord with points which will be made in
various addresses. and the appropriate
! transparency viii be revealed at the proper
point in the talks. The light for the trans
parsney. will come frGm a window Just in
/ the rear OF the framework. Arrangements
have been made for changing the pictures
with quite as great ease and celebrity as is
possible in the use of the stereopticon.
/ This method Of illustration is believed to
be entirely new in public meetings, and 1t
| Is not likely TO be duplicated very often
because of the labor and skill involved IN
making the transparencles. Originally the
transparencies are Photographic prints of
large size made upon glass. Then the
/ prints are colored by hand and are mounted
in front OF ground glass to secure the
proper lighting.
The two maps are the largest, so tar
as is known, ever made by mechanical
/ feet and each Is colored 10 graphically
show the various resources of the ooun-
! try one Of them is devoted to mineral
resources and the second TO all other re-
sources. Both the maps and the trans
win not be obstructed by the speakers
cupy the raised platform running along
the front Of the framework.
seats for the Governors.
/ The governors will occupy the seats of
honor lust IN front Of tho platform. These
seats VIII be reserved for them, but all
the other conferees and delegates will be
seated in the order OF their arrival at each
meeting. The latter viii be accommodated
with the chairs which are used at White
House musicales, but for the governors