New-York tribune., 1910-08-27
P|NCHOT PLACES BLAME
Holds Hepburn, Carter and Mon
del; Responsible for Fires.
OPPOSED APPROPRIATIONS"
Says Forest Rangers Are lily
Prepared in Numbers and
Equipment TO Fight Flames

& ashllGtou. Aug. 26.-CTiffuTd Plnchot- az
tie National Conservation Association ana
formerly head Of the government Forest
Service. in q statement issued to-day hoids
that the loss Of properly and life in the re-
cent and present forest fires was unneces-
sary
The fatal results. he says. are Jraceable
10 the tYnpreparedness to deal with the IRE
situation. He criticises members OF Con
z-ress who have opposed appropriations for
The proper equipment for forest rangers,
and names Senator Hepburn. Of Idaho.
whose home town. Wallace. Idaho, suffered
serious loss. Senator Carter, OF Montana.
and Representative MondelI- Of Wyoming.
The statement follows:
u am proud of the splendid work the
men OF the Forest Service have been doing
AGAINST the Western forest fires. Many OF
hem have given their lives TO protect the
homes OF settlers and the forests on which
he prosperity Of the Western people de-
nends To my mind. their conduct is be
vond al praise
Forest fires are prevenJa bic. II L
.sood thing for Us 20 remember at this time
nat nearly or quite all Of the loss. suffer
frE and death ..Iese fires have caused Is
wholly unnecessary- 4 fire in the forest
IS the same kind Of thing as fire in the
city There Is only one way 10 fight either.
The IRE department Of every city is or
-anized with the prime idea of getting 10
-fe fire when IT Is young So with forest
TRES. The time 10 conquer them Is before
rlsy Srow strong. II q forest is equipped
vfrl roads trails, telephone lines and
-essorafle number Of men for patrol there
IS no more likelihood that great fires will
bo able 20 get started than there Is that
great cou-faEralious like the Chicago Ere
-fu -rt started IN a city with a modern
ire ,1e-a-trne, Under rare circumstances
they may but the chances are against Il.
The Forest Service has done wonders
z--a IT'S handful Of devoted men 1t has
r-- oa- every year many thousands ot
small G-es. any one OF which under favor
arle conditions might have developed into
. .-rraE-ar5oa which ten thousand men
could not stop. This year. because OF the
--ea- Cruu-l-rne worst II much Of the
West for mere than twenty years-there
were TOO many fires ana too few rangers. /
The lesson from these forest fires is
perfectly clear When a city suffers from
q great f~e 5- docs not retrench IN its IRE
lerarrmeur. but strengthens II That Is
what the nation must do in the national
forests
TIE men In congress like Hepburn. /
Carter and Nendell. VINO have made light
ri rle efforts OF rhe Forest Service 10 pre-
pare lcsef 20 prevent just such d calamity
rs -hlz. have IN effect been fighting on
-he side of the fires against the general
-,er5a-e- r even d small fraction OF the
Joss from rhe present fires had been eX-
pended iu additional patrol and preventive /
equipment some or perhaps nearly all OF
The loss could have been avoided
''T believe osI- people viii take this les /
son 90 heart and insist that the settlers /
.rL their wives and their children, the
'g-lermen anu the miners and the Jvo
billion dollars worth CT national property .
in the national forests shall lee adequately 4
--r-r-rrrI