Evening star., 1922-04-22
PUBLIC ARB0R day
FOUNDER HONORED
Three Trees Planted Today
as Tribute to J. Sterling
Morton.

Marking the fiftieth anniversary Of
the first Arbor day in the country, the
American Forestry Association to-
day planted three memorial trees in
honor OF J. Sterling Morton. father Of
Arbor day. who instituted the GUS
tom in Nebraska, in 1872. Today is
also the ninetieth anniversary of the
birth of Mr.. Morton.
In addition to the tree planting in
front of its headquarters on 10th
street. which was attended by Ne
braskans. the association tonight will
broadcast a radio call to the country
to preserve the forests and provide
the first ime in the history of the
country that such call has been
sent out by radio. The call goes out
from KDKA. the Westinghouse
broadcasting station at Pittsburgh.
where Max Henrici, a member of the
the call that marks the close OF forest
protection and Arbor week proclaimed
by President Harding.
Following the tree planting. supervised
by Clifford Lanham, superintendent of
trees and parking, the American For
Samuel R. McKelvie Of Nebraska. Joy
Morton of Chicago. a son Of J. Sterling
Morton. and to the mayor Of Nebraska
City. the home Of Mr.. Morton. where he
founded newspaper.
Text Of Radio Message.
Tonight when the thousands of
radio fans throughout the country get
the word to stand by from KDKA
they will hear this forest protection
week message come to them through
the air:
To-day is the ninetieth anniversary
Of the BIRTH of ]. Sterling Morton. the
father Of Arbor day, who started the
custom in Nebraska in 1872. Charles
Lathrop Pack. president of the Amer
ican Forestry Association. says We
are fast becoming a nation of tree
planters This is as 1t should be.
When Mr.. Morton started the work
that has been taken up by every state
and by many nations there was less
need for caring for forests than there
Now the center Of the lumber in
dustry is nearing the Pacific coast.
Forest products are the backbone
of all industry.
only as q nation protects it's for
ests can that nations civilization ad-
vance. When trees 60 the people soon
follow. This has been demonstrated
time and again in such states as
Michigan, once a great pine state. In
many Of her counties the population
has 10llen on WITH Tue GOWN
of the pine for which the state once
was famous.
Heavy Loss Each Year.
"Forest fires destroy two billion
feet OF timber every year. There is
enough material to build q f1ve-room
frame house every hundred feet on
both sides OF road extending from
Chicago to New York city. This num-
Der OF houses would be enough to
make city the size Of Kansas City,
New Orleans, Minneapolis or Seattle.
There are in this country eighty
one million acres of idle land that
should be put to work growing trees.
You cannot produce trees to order: it
takes time.
This country must have q national
forest policy that will result in tim
ber crops every year just as we have
corn and wheat crops. Forest protec-
ton and the replenishing Of our for
est resources, the American Forestry
Association points out. Is one of the
biggest problems before the country
today. The association asks you to
Join with 1t in demanding that there
be concerted action to the end that
there never be in this country lack
of forest products. We are now near
the danger line"
Arbor week has been more widely
observed this year than ever before.
reports to the association show, and
thousands of memorial trees are being
registered on the associations honor
al