The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-02-21
STEWART EDWARD WHITE WRITES ABOUT
 CLIFFORD PINCHOT

Among other interesting sketches of interesting people, the February Amer ican Magazine contains an article by Stewart Edward White about Clifford Pinchot, excerpts from which are as follows:
 Clifford Pinchot has accomplished number of great works. He has orga- nized the Bureau of Forestry in so ef- fcient a manner that from a small be- ginning as an unimportant scientific research affair, it has grown to the proportions and dignity of an economic department of the government. It con- trols millions of acres of land; saves for the central government contsant- ly~ increasing revenue; and conserves for future generations the natural wealth of lumber, grazing, mineral and water-poWer committed to its care.
 'In a business involving many bus. inesses, many kinds of people, and complicated new problems, he has constructed and organized an. admir- able automatic machinery of control. Clifford Pinchot has proved himself great executive.
 ''In addition to this task, for which by right all his energies should have been available he has had to wage a bitter warfare. The enemies of the National Forest Idea were numerous They included in their ranks every man whose especial privilege was curtailed by the simple process of saving for the people what is the peoples. The land grabber. the timberstealer, the water hog, the cattle king, saw in even the beginnings of conservation nothing but a menace against them selves.
 "Each winter on the floors of Con- gress the Forest Service had to fight for it's life. It was attacked by fair means and foul, by direction and by indirection. No falsehood was too rank; no trick too base for some of these champions of the strongest, but still the losing game. Year after year the fight went on, but always more feebly- Now the life of our National Forest policy is assured. No one has for two years dared attempt more than to harass or hinder, has ventured to challenge the right of the Forest Ser vice to it's share in the public govern ment. Pinchot has won that particu lar battle. He is a great fighter.
 But further, he has also conquered public sentiment. Ten years ago none paid any attention to conservation Eight years ago the knowledge of it had spread over the whole West; but was everywhere met with hostility and distrust. Today the people of the country are with the idea. This re- suit has been reached by an open pub licity, by patient education of the people face to face. Back and forth across this continent, unwearied, un- der weight of work that must be done, the Forester has journeyed, meeting friends and enemies, attending meet ings enthusiastic or hostile, preaching always reasonably his reasonable doc Urine. In the end that doctrine pre- vailing because we are at bottom a reasonable people.
 'Pinchot's work has been absolutely unselfsh. Born to a large fortune, sprung from a good family he had every incentive to a life of idleness He preferred to work. His work was not for himself, but for others. He did not spare himself; his forces and his money he spent liberally. Further more, he has always tried by every means in his power to keep himself in the background. If praised, he has always brought forward the subordi- nate as the deserving one. If a blum der is committed Nhe is genuinely dis tressed until he can show that at least a share of the blame must be laid on his own shoulders. He fights imper- sonally without bitterness. He has many enemies; but it is to be doubted if there are any in the number who, having met him personally, have con tinued to hate him with the peculiar direct hatred that wants to inflict physical harm. People come after a time to feel this essential sincerity; and to trust it.''