Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-11-03

In half century hundred bills inimiea !
TO the parks have been defeated. But little
has been heard of this struggle by tho
general public.
Robert Sterling Yard of the National
Parks Association is determined That
much shall be heard of the present at
tempt He has enlisted on his side OF the
fight, some of the strongest periodicals. IN
the country. The General Federation Of
Women's Clubs has taken up the cause and
so has the National Federation of BUSH
ness and Professional Womch's Clubs
Museums, universities, conservation ASSOC
Citations, forestry schools and variety OF
other organizations and individuals are
rallying To oppose this project for the IN
disqualification of the national parks.
The object of this formidable campaign
is 90 put the issue once and for all clearly
before the public Are the national parks
To be kept unspoiled. or are they To be sub
iected to a slow process OF disintegraton1
WOULD BENEr,T FEW PEOPLE.
II is not that there is any widespread
demand for the industrial utilization of the
parks The demand comes from just few
people living near them Nor is there any
thing sinister or ruthless about the mo
tivcs of these people They are farmers and
ranchmen who have lived all their lives IN
the great West and who therefore have
little appreciation Of its Scenic and his
torical value or of the great changes which
are affecting IL The see certain bodies OF
water IN the parks which they could con
vcniently use and they want To use them
They are not enthusiastic about prcserv-
ing wild life and they do not appreciate
scenery The people about Livingstone,
Montana. who want to dam the lake. IN
Cludc many Of III, Sc who last year slaugh-
tered about c. OOn elk as the frcnrled animal
dashed across the park boundary TO escape
n blizzard
The motives Of these people arc no more
sinister or mysterious than those of n
child who secs a pot of Jam ON the shelf
and reaches out his hand for It Nor do
they represent much more formidable
force in the nation than n child docs IN a
family
The danger of the situation lies IN the
fact TINT their demands may he complied
with SIMPLY because tho rest Of the nation
is uniformed or indifferent. Those who
have seen and visited the parks. who know
their charm ~ recreation grounds, thelr
wonderful character ms hits of wild Amer
On saved from civilization. arc one and All
StaunFH defenders Oh the IhthN. fuit w
though more and more Americana are
visiting the parks every year, the total oi
those who have done so ls not vet large
To most Americans they are only name
To make them more than name. to i'm
pres, upon every American their value Ia
the nation "a 2 whole, and ~ "a max" them
safe from industrial INVASION for all tmc,
is the lnrgpr object 0f the present campaign
orr GREAT PUrIIC AYGRouNna.
- popular mlsconcept,on concerning
the rral purpose Of national parks i
partly Responsible for the consideration
gwen 10 attacks like these. said Mr. Yard
The convenient resiRnatIon 81 play
grounds. first given them figurRtlvrlv.
has not only come into universal usc dur
ing recent wears. hut actually has cloudcd
the reason for national parks existing M all.
The national forests also are magnificent
Fairgrounds. and there are 30 times a.
much of them ~ Of national parks The
public lands generally are Fairgrounds
~ arc CITY parks
Fundamentally national parks arc
national museums They have heen care
fully chosen rs examples ~ the best There
is In the original American Wilderness. rot
only FOR tho cnjovmcnt Of the people oi
TODAY hut especially 20 pass on 20 gen