The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-12-24
The NEW VIEWPOINT

We Americans have been the most
prodigal and most ridiculous of the
people Of all this big round globe. For
years people have been flocking to Eu-
rope just because it was the style.
Silly rich girls and women, and men,
too, for that matter, have actually had
the feeling that it was bourgeois "
to make tour of their native country.
That French word has made fools Of a
lot of good common folks. We have
been ashamed to express pride III our
country. Because it has been called
"the thing" We have gone abroad to
swell the Golfers of the nations across
the Atlantic. The prodigal distribu-
tion of our gold in France, Switzerland
and England made rich harvest for
those who catered to American tourists.
An article that all good Americans
might profit by reading appears in last
weeks Saturday Evening Post II is
a story written by Emerson Hough and
ii has lesson. MIR. Hough tells of
how many hundreds of millions of
American dollars have been spent
abroad each year. and then he points
OUT the unexcelled wonders that may
be viewed in our own United States.
MIR. Hough gives reasons for this con.
dition. He lays bare the mismanage-
ment, or rather the lack of manage
ment, of our national parks, and he
tells us that while new system is be-
ing worked out, the American tourist,
men with the money to spend and the
man and his family who want to trave
are getting a change in viewpoint. The
European war will put a stop for &
while to travel abroad. Those who
have been to Europe will now see
America, and those who have never
travelled will "see America first" il
for no other reason, simply because
there is no other place to go.
In his article MIR. Hough calls atten
tion to the fact that the government al
yet has done but little to exploit the
great natural wonders, the national
parks and the national natural monu
ments. The great transcontinental rail
way sytems, with equipment that can.
not be equalled anywhere in the world
much less in Europe, have devoted
much time and expense to campaigns
of publicity.
But the government, itself, now be.
gins to assist in the education of its
citizens, and We may we'll look forward
to the time when all Americans will
take pride in being able to say that
they have seen the wonders of Amer.
lea.
But to Hood River people the most
interesting thing in all Mr.. Hough's
article was his prophecy. based on &C
curate information, of the big tourist
travel to San Francisco next year
Hood River is going to get portion OF
that tourist travel, if she makes the
proper use of publicity. An item Of
50, 900 is inCluded in the Hood River
county budget for the publicity fund
The judicious expenditure of this
amount will bring the wonderful little
community into her own.
Mr.. Hough tells of a big solid Amer,
tican who, after looking for long time
over the Grand Canyon of the Colorado
as he smoked his pipe, finally, knock
ing out the ashes, turned to his neigh
Dor and and remarked: "She's got thu
punch - If we succeed in bringing
strangers to the Hood River valley
nature and the work ofIthe orchardists
themselves. will do the rest. The
Hood River community ''has tn,
punch"