Evening star., 1922-11-15
KING Of ITALY
EXPERT ON TREES
Forestry Association Direc-
tor Tells Graphic Story of
Z Visit to Monarch.

Ebert Francis Baldwin Of New York,
one Of the directors of the American
Foresty Association, makes a graphic
report of his recent visit to the King of
Italy. when he formally presented five
million Douglas fir seeds for the rehab-
tlitation of Italy's forests destroyed dur
ing the war. The seeds were the gift of
Charles Lathrop Pack of the association.
"One minute after l met King Victor
Emanuel writes Mr.. Baldwin. Il forgot
that was talking to king. He seemed
q forestry expert. pure and simple. 1t
had taken two months hard work to
obtain. through our embassy, an audi
ence with his majesty. But 1t was
worth while, if for nothing more than
to discover that, learned and expert
enced in many department of sci
ence and government. Victor Emanuel
was also up in forestry.
"As d boy he would plant young
trees at his fathers country places.
and rise at 4 o'clock in the morning
to water the trees properly himself
and not merely 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 Douglas frs
will do there He told me of his sue
cess with various trees. and of his de-
sire to extend the quantity and quail
lty of tree growing.
'Italy's chief occupation is agrfcul-
ture and the king is intensely inter-
ested in all things agricultural.
Notes Lack of Materials.
"As with all Italians, so Victor
Emanuefs great regret is, as he said
to me, the country's lack of raw ma
terials The American gift, being in
the line of raw materialS is, there
fore. especially welcome to king and
people. 1t should extend Italy's forest
resources. it should ultimately add to
her food supply. it should equalize the
flow of brooks and rivers. In confer
ring these benefits on Il foreign coun-
try. as his majesty pointed out. the
American Forestry Association is
more than Amerlcan: it has become in
ternational and it's work is model to
the rest of the world.
Its duplicate in Italy would be very
advantageous the king added. in
forestation. Our forest area is pitifully
SMALL he said. if you compare its
proportion to our total area with the
proportion in France, Switzerland,
Austria. Czechoslovakia. Our people
need just such stimulus as the Amer
lean Forestry Association is giving
yours
The chief query in the kings mind
seemed to be whether the seed would
terminate in fairly dry soil-and most
OF Italy is pretty dry. Yes he con-
cluded, the great difficulty, think. will
1t. just now we need rain very much.
Yet, despite frequent clouds. we have
had only few drops of rain in a long
time. l do not suppose. however. that
the Douglas fir is as dependent on
moisture as are some trees. l certainly
hope that it will thrive fairly we'll in
our soil and. where the conditions CT
our hill-slopes are similar to those in
your states. will be as good a grower as
1t is there.
Talked of Roosevelt.
We talked of Theodore Roosevelt. of
the Genoa conference and of the Italians
in America. But the royal forestry ex-
pert went back to the Douglas FIR Per-
sonally. thorough-eoing man. no mat
ter what particular subject he attacked,
victor Emmanuel politically is equally
notable. because he is one of the most
democratic rulers in Europe
"One day at Genoa. the king enter
tanned at lunch all the delegates to the
Information conference. Tchitcherin and
krassin. the soviet delegates. had to be
invited too As they were presented to
his ma ieSfv he eo11 =.