The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1911-06-23
"h|SR[PR[SENTED,'
SMITHS RETORT TO
P|NCH0T MAGAZINE
Declares Facts Garbled in
Obstruction" Charges
Against Forest Service.

Director George Otis Smith, of the
Geological Survey, has made general de-
NAL of the statements that the Geologic
al Survey was furnishing Official OBJ
struction" to the work Of the commits
sion provided by the Weeks act to pur-
chase and reserve lands in the Southern
Appalachian and White mountains.
he asserted that at the last meeting
OF the commission the survey reported
upon the same tracts that were reported
upon BY the Forestry Service. He as
serted that there had been no cessa-
ton of the work Of the survey, and
that the survey was following the lines
laid down by the Secretary of the In
terror and the Secretary Of Agriculture
Secretary Fisher. Of the Interior De-
partment, DR.. Smith said. had askeu
that examinations be expedited. but Mr.
Fisher idded that he would not assent
to a proposition that the Geological
survey be made rubber stamp''-as
a sort of formal marker OF approval up
on what was done for the commission.
Dr. Smith would not discuss the ar
ticle in Clifford Pinchot's American Con-
servation, in which 1t was claimed shat
the situation required immediate action
by DR.. Smiths superior, the Secretary
OF the Interior.
misrepresentation.
Director George Otis Smith said that
the statements published that the Geo
logical Survey had made but slow prog
ress while the Forestry Service had
gone rapidly forward and passed upon
about $1,000 acres, being two tracts in
the Southern Appalachian mountains,
misrepresented the facts.
The statements indicate an origin, he
asserted, in some quarter where IL was
not desired to furnish all the facts, in
asmuch as at the recent meeting OF the
commission the survey and Forest
two tracts of land, which aggregated
$1,000 acres-or, more exactly, $3.50
acres.
THE facts in the matter, which can
be substantiated by. the official rec
ords," said DR.. Smith, are that there
has been no official obstruction, as has
been SO freely charged, and that the
first effort to secure a full cooperation
between the two bureaus concerned and
the proper coordination Of their work
was initiated by the director of the
Geological Survey; and that since that
officer has received from the opinion of
the Comptroller of the Treasury the au-
thority for field work by the Geological
Survey under this appropriation, there
has been no cessation OF the work OF
this bureau.
Twenty-nine in Field.
"Twenty-nine men have been in the
field at different times for the past two
months" DR.. Smith continued.
1T may be most strongly asserted
that there has been no effort to divert
any money from the purpose contem-
plated by the law which provides spe-
officially for the examination of tracts of
land by the Geological Survey, and
the work of that bureau is aIong the
lines set forth In the memorandum ap-
proved by Secretary Fisher and Secre-
tary Wilson in April
AT the time that Governor Bass
called upon Secretary Fisher. asking
for a speedy approval OF purchases in
the White Mountains, Secretary Fisher
expressed himself as anxious that the
Geological Survey should expedite ex-
aminations both in the Southern APP
palachians and In the White mountains,
but he added that he could not assent
to any proposition to make "a rubber
stamp of the Geological Survey"
In regard to the article in Clifford
Pinchot's magazine, American Conser-
walton, DR.. Smith said:
I feel that 1t would not be proper
for me to discuss the article in Ameri-
can Conservation which states that
the situation requires immediate action
by my superior, Secretary Of the inter-
Tor Fisher"