The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1919-08-02

Now the time for national action has arrived.
Thus the time is ripe for roads and trees Tor
remembrance. The United States Is going to ex-
pend $500,000000 in the next few years on ma
tiOnal highway system of interstate arteriai
routes. 1t only remains to be seen what agency
Of the federal government is to have charge OF
the construction. If the department of agricul'
ture and the state highway commissions do the
work, the government and the states will share
the expense half and half If highway COM
mission is established by congress to have
charge of the work the share Of the states viii be
apportioned in order that states like Nevada,
Wyoming and Arizona shall not be too heavily
burdened.
AS to the feature Of memorial trees this is also
the chosen time. Public sentiment turns toward
the idea. Events all over the country forecast
general memorial planting.
The American Forestry association, Of which
Charles Lathrop Pack is president, has issued
call for memorial tree planting 1t is registering
all memorial trees and giving certificates Of reg
istration also instructions for planting.
Rev. DR.. Francis E. Clark has called upon the
Christian Endeavor societies to plant memorial
trees
Georgetown university remembered its war
heroes at its one hundred and thirtieth COM
mencement by planting 81 memorial trees IN
honor Of it's heroic dead. To each tree was af-
fixed bronze marker, Of which a sample is given
herewith To the next of kin goes duplicate Of
the marker.
"My boys made wonderful reputation for this
country on the battlef1elds of France" says Dan
iel Carter Beard IT say my boys because be-
leve that there were boy scouts in every Ameri-
can division that participated in the war. The
nlo SC NpDn po11t aly n
scout A plan that we are taking up is the
planting of trees as memorials for our heroes.
This is being done In some parts Of Long Island
and should be done in all sections. After the
tree has been planted a small tablet should be
placed on it bearing the name of the man who
made the supreme sacrifice, and when and where
and how he was killed and his branch Of the
service"
Many victory highways to be planted with me-
mortal trees are under way throughout the coun-
try.
The National Defense highway, between
Rlandensburg and Annapolis, is Maryland's con
tribution. New York is planning a Roosevelt
Memorial highway from Montauk Point to Buf
falo, In Ohio Col Webb c. Hays has offered to
give memorial tablets on memorial highways IN
Sandusky county, and William G. Sharpe, former
ambassador to France, will do the same for Lo
rain county.
The poem by Joyce Kilmer, who gave his life
for his country in France is most touching. What
is more fitting than tree for memorial? We
may attain the most magnificent effects In stone
and bronze Compare them with a permanent
road-enduring as the Appian way, built % cen
turtles ago-and shaded by the Maryland tuliI
nopar or the Engemann spruce or any other OF
our magnificent American trees, The glimpse Of
an Estes Park road in the Rocky Mountain Ma
tional park shows natures way of identifying &
highway. Consider how the trees on guard adj
the crowning touch to the Washington monu
ment