, 1919-07-31

Now the time for national action has arrived.
Thus the time is ripe for roads and trees for
remembrance. The United States is going to ex-
pend $780, O0,O 600 in the next few years on a ma
tional highway system of interstate arterial
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 a highway COM
mission is established by congress to have
charge of the work the share of the states will 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 n
general memorial planting.
The American Forestry association, of which
Charles Lathrop Pack is president, has issued a
call for memorial tree planting. 1t is registering
all memorial trees and giving certificates of reg
%istratlon; also instructions for planting.
Rev. DIR. 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 "a memorial trees in
honor of its heroic dead. To each tree was af-
fixed a bronze marker, of which a sample is given
herewith. To the next of kin goes a duplicate of
the marker.
MY boys made a wonderful reputation for this
country on the battlefelds of France" says Dan
lei Carter Beard. Il say my boys because I be-
leve that there were boy scouts in every ,Ameri-
can division that participated in the war. The
boy scouts slogan is, Once a scout always a
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 1t bearing the name Of the man who
aarlAan a~1 xuhan nnd xrhA.a
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
Blandensburg and Annapolis. is Maryland's con-
tribution. New York is planning a Roosevelt
Memorial highway from Montauk Point to Buff
falo. In Ohio Col. Webb G. 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 a tree for a 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 tuIfp
poplar or the Engelmann 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 a
highway. Consider how the trees on guard add
the browning touch to the Washington monu.
ment.