Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-01-18

| Washington. Jan. 17.--An interest
| ing struggle between two departments
OF the Government seems TO have aris-
en- over the proposition embodied I'M
several bills and also considered as|
part OF the departmental reorganization
schcme---to take thu national forests
out OF the Jurisdiction of the Depart
ment OF Agriculture and place them
under that OF the Department Of the
/ Interior.
Ostensibly. or course. there il no
!, struggle between the two departments,
no difference OF opinion or desire be-
/ tween the two Cabinet officers at their
heads. no rift in the administration
,lute. None Of these things ever appears
! on the surface. Nor do the ostensible
reasons for the proposed transfer sug-
gest any issue worth struggling over.
! But the ostensible reasons are not the
real ones.
i What everyone really familiar with
the situation sees In the proposed
transfer ia an effort to modify the
Roosevelt Pinchot policy Of careful
o conservation in favor Of one which
: win allow a much freer use of the
timber, grazing and other natural re-
sources under the protection OF the
: Forest Service. eFrecr USE is the
! term used by tho friends Of the pro-
o posed change. Exploitation" is the
n word the conservationists prefer. You
/ can take your choice.
!, That a change Of policy In the adj
a ministration Of the forests is the thing
r aimed at is evidenced In various ways
For one thing. It is known that the
i proposition to make the Forest Service
q a part OF the Interior Department
!, originated with Secretary of the In
i terror Fail. and Mr.. Fail has repeat.
II edly placed himself on record az favor.
d ing a much freer use Of natural re.
q sources and az opposed to the conser
z walton policy which has been followed
in this country since RoogeyeIts ad
r. ministration, and which is regarded
by many persons both here and I'm Eu
rope as the most successful Of Aneri
can administrative achievements.
The Pioneer Policy.
r Secretary Fairs attitude is the mos
9 interesting factor In the situation
j. Some OF mis- enemies have describe
q him as the agent Of certain westeri
- capitalistic interests which desire I
.e exploit the forest resources, and there
se fore as not sincere in his propose
N policy. But there IS evidence that b
Is perfectly sincere.
Mr.. Fail liz an American OF the var
re lshing pioneer type, which VIII
te forever extinct In this country
u another generation. He went TO Ne
rs Mexico as young man when II
w Southwest was a truly wild countr
AS everyone knows. to the pioneer
by that era the natural resources Of II
ed country seemed inexhaustibie. ii
n vast forests, the seemingly lirnitle.
at prairies. the herds OF buffalo thi
ed reached farther than one could see
OF all Of these were surely more than ms
st could ever use. The difficult thing ";
of to slbdue and master nature, to briT
tie any part Of this Wild treasure und
re mans control. Nature to the phone
ey was not a thing 10 be studied al
fl cared for. She was a grim enemy q
ma strong men 10 fight. Game was TO
&c. killed forests 10 be feiled. land to
tie ploughed. The pioneer developed Z
tie ward the natural resources of Il
arth an aggressive. embattled attitud
n He rejoiced in every dent that mar
g? energy made on the wilderness, al
he hated the sight Of the wilderne
nd unconquered.
Is The typical pioneer has never z
over this attitude, just as ne has new
en got over his hatred OF the IndiaI
And Secretary Fall seems TO be t
he typical pioneer. His expressions nea
an, ly always have the ring Of sincerit
and they express that PIONEER attitu
nd toward nature In all its simplicity.
P Man cannot exhaust the resourc
lee Of nature and never viii" he proclaim
aft ed in an interview published in Il
es. Colorado Springs Gazette. Septemb
ich %. 1921. And thiss premise he follow
q with several logical conclusions fro
il.
mo "An natural resources should
~, made as easy OF access as possible
~ the present generation was anoth
-, Of his expressions. and he also a
nCunced that there is enough limb
rotting every year 10 supply L
normal demand"
noe Can Resources be Exhausted.
lite Now the friends Of the Roosev,
be policy OF conservation in all parts
-