The Detroit times., 1908-05-13
ROOSEVELT HURLS
DEFIANCE AT CONGRESS
tcoHsinued from Fir.t Page,

| tS"ntnued from First Psge.)
10 feet high. artistically covered with
green velvet. trimmed with gold ropss.
The framework Afforded a setting for
two giant maps OF the United States,
each colored to show the various re-
sources OF the country. The gov
ernors occupied the seats OF Honor
tJust in front or The platform. rhe
other confrerees and delegates were
seated In the order OF arrival.
/ The president first outlined the pur-
poses OF the conference. calling atten-
ton TO the fact that the conservation
I OF the country's natural resources Ia
the weightiest problem now before
the nation" and that the resources are
! In danger OF exhaustion IL the old.
wasteful methods OF exploiting them
are permitted longer TO continue.
He said that OF late the worlds In
dustrial progress has increased at
such rate that more space has actu-
| ally been covered during the century
and quarter covered by the national
| life than during the preceding 5000
years OF the time OF the earliest monu-
ments OF Egypt.
The president points out that when
this nation began its career. the at.
tanned degree OF the progress of man
kind, as regards commerce, had not
fundamentally changed since the day
when the Phoenecian keels first fur.
rowed the lonely waters OF the Medi-
terranean." Since then, adds the presi-
dent. "our knowledge and use OF the
resources OF the present territory OF
the United States has increased hun
dredfold.
Nature" said the president, has
supplied TO US In the United States,
and still supplies to us, more kinds Of
resources In a more lavish degree
than has ever been the case at any
other time or with any other people.
Our position in the world has been
attained by the extent and thorough
ness OF the control we have achieved
over nature: but we are more, and not
less, dependent upon what she fur
nishes than at any previous time OF
history since the days of primitive
man.
Yet our fathers. though they knew
| so little OF the resources OF the coun-
try, exercised wise forethought In
saw that the perpetuity Of the states
could only be secured by union. and
that the only feasible basis Of union
was an economic one.
Accordingly. he helped to outline
scheme of commercial development.
and by his influence an interstate
waterways commission was appointed
by Virginia and Maryland.
IL met near where we are now
meeting. in Alexandria. adjourned to
sideration of Interstate commerce. by
the only means then available. that OF
water. Further conferences were ar
Phiiadelphia. " IT wss in P PHI 1
that the representatives OF all the
states met for what was In its original
ference: but when they had closed
their deliberations the outcome was
the constitution which made the states
into a nation.
The constitution OF the United
states thus grew in large part out OF
the necessity FOR united action In the
s wise use T Hi ONE or our ns,urai re-
natural resources. which are our ma
tionai resources as well. is the great
material question OF today
Resources Versus Character.
The steadily increasing drain on
20 an extraordinary degree the COM
plexity OF our industrial and social
life. Moreover. this unexampled d.
upon the character and opinions OF
, our people. The demand for efficiency
!, In the great task has given MS vlgor.
effectiveness. decision. and power. and
capacity for achievement which IN
It's own lines has never yet been
, matched. SO great and so rapid has
! has bee ma tendency to lag behind In
, spiritual and moral growth,
These resources are the fnal basis
OF national power and Derpetuity. Fin
ally, IL Is ominously evident that these
resources are In the course OF rapid
exhaustion.
This nation began with the belief
r that Its landed possessions were Him
liable and capable OF supporting all the
people who might care TO make our
: country their home: but already the
limit OF unsettled land Is in sight, and
indeed but little land fitted for agri-
culture now remains unoccupied save
and drainage. We began with un-
approached heritage OF forests: more
than half OF the timber Is gone We
began with coal fields more extensive
: than those or any other nation and
with iron ores regarded as tnexhausti-
hle, ana many experts now declare that
sight.
How the Waste Goes On.
The mere increase in our consump-
tion of coal during 1907 over 1907 ex-
seeded the total consumption in 1916.
of mineral Year OH and Tss as. ss
largely gone. our natural waterways
are not gone. but they have been so
Injured by neglect. and by the division
or responsibility and utter lack of sys-
tenn In dealing with them, that there
IL less navigation on them now than
There was fifty years ago. Finally. we
began with soils OF unexampled fertfl-
ity and we have so Impoverished them
by injudicious use and by falling TO
cheek erosion that their crop produc-
In grower Is diminishing instead OF
Undressing. In word. We have
thoughtiessly, and TO large degree
unnecessarily, diminished the resources
upon which not only our prosperity
but the prosperity OF our children
must always depend.
We have become great because OF
the lavish use OF our resources and We
have Just reason TO be proud OF our
growth. But the time has come 10
Inquire seriously what will happen
when our forests are gone. when the
coal the iron. the oil. and the gas are
exhausted. when the soils shall have
been still further Impoverished and
washed into the streams. poiluting the
rivers. denuding the fields and OBJ
structing navigation. These questions
do not relate only to the next century
or To the next generation IL fs time
Tor us now az nation 10 exercise the
same reasonable foresight I'm dealing
with our great natural resources that
would be shown by any produent man
In conserving and widely using the
property which contains the assuranc
or We'll being for himself and his
children.
Timber Famine Threatens.
The president then goes on to NV
that the country is on the verge of,a