Evening star., 1924-05-23
PLAY, BUT PRESERVE
NATURE, OUTDOOR AIM
Speakers at Recreation Conference
Stress Protection of Birds,
Flowers and Trees.
PERMANENT BODY IS LIKELY
Active Effort to Increase Public
Exercise Being Planned.

Those silent, inanimate master
pieces of nature-the trees and wild
flowers Of the forests-entered their
own plea for protection and en-
couragement today before the Ma
tional Conference on Outdoor Recrea-
tion, in session in the New National
Museum.
President Coolidge sounded the
keynote OF tho conference at its in
augural session yesterday and i'm
mediately after the arguments of the
beasts and birds and fishes for the
right to live and thrive in peace and
security was heard. So today th>
conferees accorded the same right
to the nations plant life.
Menace Of Careless Told.
Many of An1erica's most beautiful
plants and trees are on the verge of
extinction as q result OF mans
careless destruction, p. l. Kicker. of
the Department OF Agriculture, rep
resenting the Botanical Society Of
America, told the conference this
morning. Among these, he declared.
are the laurel and the climbing ar
butus, or mayfower.
Stressing the economic need for
preserving wild flowers, the speaker
foods that have inundated wide
stretches of fertile land have been
duo to the wanton destruction OF
plant life during the past fifty years.
River banks where vegetation and
trees are numerous are at least 20
have been shorn of their natural
supports. he said.
Plants Protect Trees,
THE wild flowers" Mr.. Kicker az
serted, ARE the ground covering Of
our forest floors There is good rea-
son to believe, too. that without
selves would be unable to exist
they form blanket for the trees
Turning their attention TO the
major subject OF the conference, the
creational resources of America n
was to effect some sort of an organi-
cation that can enlarge and make
more accessible to the people these
resources that President Coolidge
ta1ssh. ealed the e. conference and brought
leaders In these subjects. One hundred
and twelve organizations are repre-
sented in the conference.
secretary OF the Interior Work was
hohoEATy OF the morning
session. with Secretary Hoover
scheduled TO assume the same office
this afternoon. Assistant Secretary
OF the Navy Roosevelt remains per-
manent secretary Of the temporary
organization. Late this afternoon the
delegates may be received by Presi-
dent and Mrs. Coolidge at the White
House.
Wants Survey Of Parks.
Only the establishment Of Just rela-
tionships between recreational and in
duBtrfai values will secure ito this gen.
Grafton and to posterity the enjoyment,
health and education which are the ma
tons due from its heritage Of wilder
ness Robert Sterling Yard. executive
secretary Of the National Parks Asso-
citation. declared. He called for an i'm
mediate survey OF the scenic resources
Of the United States by government
Tho pace OF material progress" he
continued, has become swift beyond
realisation" The nation has done "un-
believably little to avail itself recrea-
nonally Of the 100000 square miles of
natural wonderland that comprise its
publicly owned territories"
Others ON Program.
Other speakers this morning in
cluded Darlington Moore, secretary
of the Council on National Parks,
Forests and Wild Life; Franklin Moon
Of Syracuse. dean of the New York
State College Of Forestry; Prof.
Henry Vincent Hubbard Of Cam
bridge. representing the American
Society OF Landscape Architects; Will
0. Doohttle, executive secretary Of
the American Institute OF Park
Executives, and Joseph Hyde Pratt
Of Chapel Hill. N. C.. geologist and
engineer.
Those on the afternoon program
included Martin G.. Brumbaugh of
Philadelphia. former governor of
Pennsylvania: Mai. William A. welch
OF the Palisades Interstate Park;
Otto r. Mallory OF New York: Harris
A. Reynolds of the American Forestry
nrofessor OF physicsi education m iait at
Columbia University: Miss Ethel
Perrin OF New York. representing the