Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-11-03
Defending the
National Parks
E-uIo.t, 4 HaaLin

Washington, ID. c., Nov. IA great
battle of words, growing out oi last
sessions legislation and To be carried INTO
the chambers and committee rooms OF
Congress Mt the coming session, Is now
being fought 10 decide the question whether
industry. in the form of water power, and
irrigation projects, shall be allowed To m
wade the national parks Of the West, or
whether these shall bc kept as the un-
sroiled bits Of wild nature which they now
are.
Al the last session the anti-national
mark forces. in surprise attack, ire
mendouslv dcnted Conservation center
hv getting national parks inserted IN the
Water Power net, and narrowly missed
swceplng victory in last minute defense
stand on irrigation rs exciting rs tioratio =
historic feat at the bridge
The national park forces, mighty glad
of n chance to recupCrate, are now sound
ing the loud call to arms far and wide.
They announce their purpose, Mt the next
session. not only 10 straIghten out that
big dent III their center and recover all the
ground lost on both wings, but to dig In so
deep, and weave the wire cntanglements So
thicklv, that their boundaries will he I'M
crossahlc forever more.
Meantime the auti-natIonal park forces
are bringing up big guns to defend their
water power victory, and assembling their
irrigation armies under able and expert
encod generals in Congress Also they are
eagerly negotiating with MI possible allies
10 DAM THE YELLOWSTONE
Yet the immediate ISSUES Of the struggle
arc comparativclv small \ little group of
farmers mostly NormoEs. living in Ida
no. southwest Of Yellowstone Park. want
10 put dam IN tho Falls river basin Of the
park. so that they may use the waters for
irrigation. Another much larger group Of
individuals living III the vicinity of Llv-
mgstone. Montana. north of the park
want To dam up the outlet OF Yellowstone
Lake. so rs to control the waters of the
Yellowstone river for irrigation purposes
Each Of the projects would benefit only
the people Of local community and zach
of them say the opponents Of the project s
- unnecessary. IN that same results can be
accomplished without invading he parks
Tho benefits would he local. argue these
opponents. hut the damage done would
he national IN character To dam M the
waters of the Yellowstone Lake mears 70
flood thousandsof aCrcS Of beautiful wilder
ness Il means to introduce new al
mlntStratlVe torCc into the CNlNiteN 81 Tue
park Likewise 10 dam the waters of the
Falls river BASIN would I've % rum one of
the hest winter elk range. IN the park
system and one ~ the two strnugholds of
the moose III the West, also to spoil one Of
the finest camping regions Just NJ time
hen Yellowstone patronage is lcapInE ~
immense bounds
HUT this immediate damage which
would he done a. tho national treasure ~
the parks. IS not nearly S" important IS the
precedent which would be established II
industry Is once allowed to invade the
parks. there viii he no cnd ~ the INVASION
If either ol these two projects Is allowed
there will he dozens If projects IL a lew
wears
Ever SINCE the parks and national forest
were created, there has been a steady
consistent effort on the part ~ certain
interests m the West tohreak Thorn ,ip ro-
ducc them II size or failing III that - in
wade them for industrial purposes Con 1
gr,s> has steadily resisted that attempt