The Washington herald., 1909-02-20
Scope of Conference on Nat
Ural Resources BrOadened.
PRESIDENT TAKES INITIATIVE
Delegates from United States, Mex
leo, ard Canada Hold Secondary
SessiOn-Yeetfng Is Behind Closed
Doors. 10 Assure Free Discussion.
General Inventory Il Desirable.

Acting upon the request Of the dele
gates Of Mexico and Canada who are at
tending the conservation conference II
Washington. but primarily on his Owl
initiative in the matter. President ROose-
velt made it known yesterday that he
expects 70 invite all the civilized nations
Of the world TO participate in great con-
ference for the conservation Of national
resources al The Hague next autumn.
The invitation 70 foreign nations TO par
ticipate in the proposed conference Al
/ The Hague viii be sent out az once
/ through the State Department, ard tie
form Of the Invitation was drawn I'D by
Secretary OF State Bacon. in consulta-
tion with President Roosevelt and Clifford
PinChOt. the Presidents friend. and head
Of the United States Forest Service.
Il was announced yesterday afternoon
that the State Department some weeks
asO sounded" some OF the leading for
eisn nations in regard 20 the President S
suggestion, and that the response was 50
cordial as 10 leave no doubt Of the feas-
ibnity Of the project
Some OF the European nations are repre-
sented as having urged" the President
10 90 on with his plsp. for arousing world
wide interest in the conservation OF nat
urai resources, the prevention Of waste,
and the economical use Of the things that
nature has given 20 al the nations.
Nations Favor Plan.
The nations who entered so cordially
into the spirit Of the enterprise are no,
named at this time. but II is certain that
Great Britain is one Of them. and prob
: ably France and Germany are among
those from which more or less enthusi-
I astic responses have been received.
Ostensibly. the action originated, how
I ever. in the recommendation lately made
Mexican commissioners who are attend
/ ing the present conference The matter
was talked over al luncheon in the
White House yesterday, at which the
/ President entertained the Canadian and
7 Mexican visitors as guests of honor.
1 Secretary Of State Bacon and Senator
Knox. who is to be Secretary Of State
under the next administration, were also
/ present
The President believes that the nations
Of the world can gain a good deal by
conferences and cooperation in regard tC
Z
and he believes that the United States car
learn a good deal from what has beer
done already by some Of the nations of
Europe. He makes il clear. however
that the matter of the tariff, which might
easily be considered by some persons Is
related 20 any international movement for
conservation, viii not be one Of the sub
jects for discussion at the proposed
Hague conference.
The President last year recommended
that the tariff on wood pulp be removed
on the OStensible ground that the free
admission Ct this material into the United
States would mean the saving Of oUI
national store Of wood pulp Il has beer
suggested by some persons that the cOr0l-
larry Of this proposition is that the for
ests Of Canada and other countries would
under this plan suffer the depletion which
il is proposed 10 avoid in the United
/ States. and that this is hardly consistent
with the idea Of International co-opera-
tion IN conservation affairs
The President said in his speech at the
White House to the Canadian and Mexi-
can delegates, however, that interna-
tional cooperation was wanted. because
I no nation should seek 10 build itself VI
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