The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1922-09-20
KING OF ITALT
ARDENT FORESTER
Monarch Drops Royal Mfcn for Garb Of

rectors OF the American Forestry As
Sociation makes graphic report Of his
recent visit tc the King of Italy when
he formally presented five million
Douglas fir seeds for the rehabilitation
Of italy's forests destroyed during the
war. The seeds were the gift Of
Charles I.athrop Pack Of the Associa-
ton
"Onc minute after | met King Vic
tor Emanuel" writes Mr.. Baldwin, 81
forgot that | was talking to a king.
tic seemed q forestry expert, pure and
simple. 1t had taken two months hard
work 10 obtain through our Embassy,
an audiences with his majesty. But il
was worth while, If for nothing more
than 10 discover that, learned and cX-
fHcricncod III many a department Of sci
rncc and government, Victor Fmanncl
was also up i'll forestry.
"AS Il boy, he would plant young
trees at his fathers country places
and rise at four o'clock in tn morn
ing to water the trees properly him
&elf-and not merely TO see that it was
done. IN my own place. outside the
city he added. I have grown foreign
trees and / want TO see how the Doug
las frs will do there He told me Of
his success With various trees and of
his desire TO extend the quantity and
Quality Of tree growing.
"Italy's chief occupation is agricul-
ture aud the king is intensely interest
ed in all things agricultural
AS with all Italians, so Victor
Emanuel's great regret is, as he said
to me, the countryS lack Of raw ma
terials. The American gift being in
the line OF raw materials, is therefore
especially welcome to king and peo-
pie. II should extend Italy's forest
resources, it should ultimately add to
her food supply, ii should nqualize the
flow OF brooks and rivers. In confer
ing these benefits on a foreign country,
ns his majesty pointed out, the Amer
lean Forestry Association is more than
American: it has become international
and its work is model to the rest of
the world.
Its duplicate in Italy would be
very advantageous the king added.
in" awakcnign italians TO the neces-
sity Of forestatloa. Our forest area is
pitifully small he said, If YOU com
pare its proportion to our total area
with the proportion in France, Swift
zcrland, Austria, Czcchoslovakia. Our
people need Just such a stimulus as
the American Forestry Association is
giving yours
The chief query in the kings mind
seemed to be whether the seed would
germinate in fairly dry soil-and most
OF Italy is pretty dry Yes, he con-
cluded, the great difficulty. think will
be tho drought. You must have noticed
it. Just now we need rain very much
Yet, despite frequent clouds, we have
had only fcW drops of rain in long
time. do not suppose, however, that
the Douglas fir is as dependent on
moisture rs are some trees. certain
ly hope that it will thrive fairly we'll in
our soil, and where the conditions OF
our hill-s!oDcs are similar to those in
your states, will be as good a grower
Is it is there
eve talked Of Theodore Roosevelt.
0! tho Genoa Conference and of the
!,al!ans in America. But the royal
forestry expert went back to the
Douglas fir. Personally, thorough
going man, no matter what particular
subject he attacked, Victor Emanuel
is equally notable, because
he is one Of the most democratic rul-
CTS in Europe.
"One day at Genoa, the king enter
tanned at lunch all the delegates to the
international Conference. 'rchitcherln
and Erassin, the Soviet delegates had
to be invited TOO. AS they were pre-
sented to his majesty, he simply said,
'Ne no pieccre (plcased to meet YOU'D.
This very conventional phrase, how
ever. so impressed Tchtcherin that
when asked what he thought of the
king, replied, Think! Why, if we had
him in Russia, he might be president
of all the sovicts.'"