Evening star., 1923-04-30
NATURAL MUSEUM
OF PARKS FAVORED
American Association for Ad-
vancement of Science
Backs Project.

Creation Of the only great chain OF
natural museums now possible In the
entire world, which would be the
primeval study ground for science III
the future, through the preservation
under a common policy Of the ma
tional parks of the United States and
the national parks Of. Canada Is
urged by the American Association
for the Advancement of Science.
This international system or mu-
seums of the original American will
derness. stretching from the Arctic
ocean to the Gulf Of Mexico. is de-
signed to be a great outdoor school
for popular education in the natural
sciences.
1t would also attract to this country
the tourist traffic of the world. since
uowhere else in the world could the
virgin forests and Wild life in its ma
tive environment be found.
The object sought by this largest
and most progressive Sclentlnc or
ganization in the world Is TO estan-
lish for future generations conti-
mental scientific laboratory and popu-
lar education exhibit covering both
Canada and the United States, which
will be absolutely unique, because no
where else can such parks carved from
The primeval wilderness be found In
consequence of the devastations by war
and industry in other countries.
U. S. Park System.
The United States has now in its
national park system nineteen parks
and twenty-eight national monuments.
which inclose 10,so9 square miles
The Cascade mountains are represented
by Mount Rainier, Crater lake and
Lassen volcano.
The Rocky mountains are repre-
sented by Glacier. Yellowstone, and
Rocky mountain. The Sierra Nevada
mountains are represented by fose-
mite, Sequoia and General Grant. On
the eastern coast. the Appalachians
Maine coast. The desert parks are
Grand Canyon and Zion, while pre-
historic civilization is represented in
the Mesa Verde. Besides these, up
in Alaska there is Mt. Mckinley
national park, 20,I00 feet in altitude.
In Hawaii there are three separate
areas including the Lake of Everlast-
ing Fire.
The theory OF this national park
system is that they shall be complete
AS museums of original natural life.
1t has taken the United States fifty
wears to make and develop this ma
tional parks system, having COM
menced in 1872
Canada took the same idea from the
United States and started her chain of
national parks in 1885. Canada now has
Il system Of eleven great natural areas
Rocky Mountain, Yono. Glacier, Revel-
stoke. kootenay, Jasper (Which alone
Lakes, st. Lawrence Islands. Broder.
Point Pelee and FidaPs Point.
Use Made of Parks.
The great universities and public
schools are coming more and more to
use these national parks for educa-
tonal purposes. The Department of
the Interior has recently tnaugurated
nature guide courses in these parks,
~ q preliminary to more extensive
governmental educational service.
The interests of the scientists in
"rging this joint preservation of the
national parks of the United States
and Canada are two-that they may
and that they may be used for the
purposes of science for future gen
erations.
The scientists study in these parks,
for example, the origin and applica-
tion of plant life in their natural en-
Vlronment. They get at the essential
nature of these plants and out of
that study have been developed many
things of great value to the human
race-as medicines. All over the
world groups Of scientists are all the
time studying natural conditions, and
out of those studies the science of
the future. translated into what the
people Will use every day.
The scientists. looking forward to
the time when the whole United
rial uses, such as farming. saw in the
national park system their great
hope, providing a great field for orig
inal scientific Investigations. These
parks are the only areas in the
I nited States set apart absolutely, to
be held in trust, unchanged for
future generations So the American
Association for the Advancement of
Science, which is the largest with
nearly 10000 memhers), most inclu-
association in the world. has taken a
deep interest in the national parks of
the United States.
But this association is information
al-all- ll-American-and so the asso-
citation desires to see the national
parks of Canada linked with those
of the United States, so that a great
International system can be set up.
such as is possible nowhere else in
the world.
Avoid Political Union.
No political or administrative union
hL lHeSe Is duNCCdted, but
international policy Of complete con-
servation from industrial uses. backed
by perfected laws in beth countries
The mountain ranges included in
this international museum system are
the Alaskan range, the Canadian
Rockies. the Selkirk range, the CAS-
cade range, the Sierras and the
American Rockies.
Volcanic exhibits run the eamut
from the Lake of Everlasting Fire. in
the Hawaiian Islands, to a. number of
dead volcanoes, and includes world
celebrated Mount Katmai. with its
valley of Ten Thousand Smokes: liv-
ing Mount Lassen, collapsed Mount
Mazama. holding Crater lake in its
bowl; ice-capped Mount Rainier and
helioWstone's geysers and tiers of
buried forests.
DIR. Wnlcott Heads Unicn.
DR.. Charles D. Walcott. head Of tho
Smithsonian Institution, was recentlv
elected president of this American AS
sociation for the Advancement Of
Science, succeeding DR.. j. P4yfair
McMurrIch of the University of To-
ronto.
A resolution recently adopted by
this association points out tha. at
The opinion of a single official of
this government several of the ma
tional parks in the United States are
open to mining and grazing. while
the control of waterpower in future
parks has recently been surrendered
10 the Waterpower commission, ahd
that all but one of the national parks
IN Canada are similarly open to cef-
tam economic or comn~-cia1 uses
therefore the association passed
this resolution: That the association
earnestly requests the people and the:
Congress of the United States and
the people and the parliament of the
Dominion of Canada to secure sucb
a n r, ri MT G NJ fctt t,,xr