Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-15
AMERICANS ARE URGED
TO SEE AMERICA FIRST
Government Wants Them to Come to an
Appreciation Of Their Own
Country.

, ment to the national parks has in
creased 30 per cent. during the two
years that the United States was at
war above the best record for previ-
! binary taxes. high prices and all OBJ
stacles in the way of passenger
travel. During the war automobile
travel to the national parks Increased
gratifying fact Is the immense in
crease in tourist travel. Last season
there were a half million people in
these national Fairgrounds. and this
year 1T is expected that there will be
nearer 100000. Automobile manufac-
turers report that there is special
drive for tourist cars with the ma
tfonal parks as objective - the auto
tourists mecca.
The Interior Department officials
are especially gratified because this
coming out into the open Is q univer-
sal movement. the humans swarming
from all points Of the country, with
very marked increase from the here
tofore stay-at-home south.
Growing Zeal for America.
The movement of the people to see
the parks is growing, and with it is
growing not only an admiration and
glory for ones own country-which
is the best possible reconstruction
and readjustment spirit for after-the-
war days-but there is growing with
it zeal for learning more about
America.
The University of California. in re-
spouse to this spontaneous craving.
has started course of LIE Conte me-
mortal lectures upon the natural .fea-
lures of the national parks. delivered
right in front of those features in
the Yosemite. F. E. Matthes of the
Geological Survey. is the principal
To- 49, Ill S~I.
been working for four years on the
subject and has evolved a new the
DRY regarding the Yosemite which
IS to be announced for the first time
in these lectures.
Still more significant is the fact
that Columbia University, in New
York-the largest university in the
world-has announced a course in its
regular curriculum entitled Features
Of Our National Parks" which is to
start very soon. Prof. E. NJ Lehnerts.
who has been national park bug
Tor more than a decade, is to con-
duct the local classes.
washington took notable part in
this general movement when, on Nav
70. the National Parks Association was
formed here. This Is an organization
OF the people, separate from the gov
eminent, but working with the govern
ment. The federal bureau gets money
from Congress to protect, develop and
maintain the parks. The National
Parks Association was formed to
study the parks for themselves, The
objects being:
Objects Of Association.
1. To interpret the natural sciences
which are illustrated in the scenic
features. flora and fauna of the ma
tional parks and monuments. and cir
culate popular Information concerning
them In text and picture.
z. TO encourage the popular study |
OF the history. exploration, tradition
monuments
3. To encourage art with national
parks subject. and the literature of
national parks travel, wild life and
Wilderness living and the interpreta-
ton of scenery.
4. To encourage the extension AZ
the national parks system to represent |
Dy consistently great examples the full
range OF American scenery, flora and
1auna, yet confined to areas of sig.
nincance SO extraordinary that they
snail make the name national park an
american trade mark IN the competi-
ton Tor the worlds travel, and the de-
velopment Of the national monuments
into a system illustrative Of the
range or prehistoric civilization and
early exploration and history.
.. To enlist the personal service Of
INDIVIDUALS and the cooperation of So
cietles' organizations. schools, univer-
sites and institutions in the cause of
the national parks and monuments.