The Washington herald., 1913-11-10
ALTON VS.. CONVERSATION
By GRIDLEY BEDE.

Washington next week will be host to
the hosts Of conservation. Workers in
conservation, who first met in Washing
ton In 1908, have been hither and thither
over the country and now return TO the
city within whose limits the first great
national impulse to conservation was
given The mind Of the country has
moved fast and far since the Governors
Conference Of May. 1906. and the subse-
quent statistical statement Of the re-
sources of the nation In December. 1ss.
In the interval conservation has in
some cases threatened to become politi-
cal issue and has actually blurred the
vision Of some relative TO the underlying
scope Of the movement The enemies OF
conservation, II there actually be such,
have regarded the general purpose as a
dream. All sorts OF accusations relative
to the impractical character Of the idea
have been made by those who understood
the subject so little as to be blind to the
fact that conservation Is either practical
or nothing. On the other hand, some Of
the ecstatic friends OF conservation have
run to extraordinary extremes and have
dragged into the field OF conservation
anything and everything TO which they
could apply the name.
In the face Of derision in one direction
and of unusual enthusiasm in the other.
the conservation idea has survived and
grown. The Knockers who have said that
conservation In only misspelling of
Conversation must at the end OF this
period OF testing agree that in the
elapsing years many points have been
gained and few have been lost In the
endeavor to awaken the nation to the
subject OF wasted resources
DedninE the Word
Before taking up these evidences Of
applied conservation let US attempt to
define the idea In language that will ap-
peal to all. The definition can only be
reached by making a brief explanation.
Our nation, confronted by an uncon-
quered continent at the beginning Of
Its national life and possessed Of a
conquering spirit, set to itself a task Of
the area Of the United States |
to some sort of service. In the process |
the eager. conquering men paid bur |
slight regard to the use or to the abuse |
Of resources. They swept the forests TO |
They took the best out of |
products. They cut; they burned; they |
tore their way from ocean to ocean in
order to show a continent subtugated by |
courageous. determined men.
Looking back on the years prior to |
1900 We have much to be proud Of in /
pioneer prowess and in physical achieve
ment; but the forward looking men at /
last began to question the future and |
ask what there was to remain for. use In |
all the unnumbered years that our nation |
Is expected to exist. The thought that |
finds expression in the Scotch proverb |
'Wilful waste brings woeful want" for |
has been stirring in America |
Here and there over the country quiet |
men. chiefly in professional lines be-
gan to dread the usual outcome of
reckless waste. Here and there men OF
similar minds met. Gradually the senti-
ment spread over the nation and sud-
ienly like fash Of light under the in
auence OF men like Fernow. Pinchot. and
Roosevelt. then resident the nation was
halted in its destructive career by |
he word conservation" Conservation
means using without waste. 1t means
regard for the heritage of the children
of tomorrow. 1t means extracting the
'ulI value from all that is taken from
earth's surface. It means the stir of
conscience in the race relative to the
unborn generations. 1t means increasing
he fertility Of lands instead Of exhaust
ng them. 1t means saving child lives
L means every impulse of every one who
through personal service would endeavor
q make the United States Of his day a
lay OF Advancement instead OF day OF
exhaustion It means that the decade
rom 1900 to 1s1o,wiIl live in the history
II the United States as a period OF pre-
'ision.
Some Proofs of Progress. 4
Now let US look at some things that
ave happened since the Governors Con-
erence. We do not mean to credit the
nen then gathered with much OF what
as since happened. They merely proved
o be the vehicle of an idea-an idea so
ompelling in its power that millions
ave from that time learned to think. So
ar has the idea gained that even chill
rem in schools will be found hesitating
o cut down small trees because they
now small trees will become great ones.
he most noteworthy achievement and
ne that has already made the most di-
ect appeal to the common-sense of the
alton Is the Bureau Of Mines. This is
OF q bureau for fling away statistics
9 to what we have or what we take
ut. It is much more than that It is a |
ureau Of achievement, of guidance o.
dvice, and under its influence wasting
atural gas is being stopped; technical
ssearch has been made as to the means :
getting out a greater proportion of !