The Dolores star., 1924-09-12
National Plan fur s$sSs:#
0utduur RerreztinnI\
in the Making ~,
BY JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN

NCLE SAM would have us play-out
Za MSA Of doors. Incidentally, Uncle Sam
{ !. =" : :: :
Mfh1 here means the government of the
fEhf United States; there is no politics
A HEM in this article
H AEkH President Wilson WINS good
VkAF$ friend OF out-of-doOrs recreation; ii
\SlyH he who backed the popular
movement which forced through
congress in his administration the
act exempting the existing national parks from the
jurisdiction of the new water power commission,
thus heading off immediate danger of commercial
Invasion. Franklin X. Lane in his cabinet,
the first secretary of the interior to see the eco
nomic, recreationaI and ethical value of the ma
tona park system. IT Lane. a Democrat
who induced stephen T. AIather. n Republican, to
become director of the national park service
1t WIS during the Wilson administration that
Hawaii Q9lG), Lassen Volcanic 09l6), Mount
Mckinley N91D, Grand Canyon G919) and
Lafayette U0I9) National parks were established
by acts of congress.
1t President Harding who announced
through an authorized spokesman at the fiftieth
anniversary of the Yellowstone. national park
policy which promised, among other things their
protection against invasion bS the commercial in
terests II was Harding who visited Yellowstone
and the new Zion National park during the sum
mer of 1923 and confirmed that policy. 1t Is Pres
ident Coolidge who has gone Il step farther than
these two predecessors and would have the estab-
lishment of definite governmental policy of par
dcipaton in outdoor recreation and promotion of
its advancement.
Emphasis is put upon the national parks be-
causs the national park movement is the eXemDIar
of the many movements which now enter into fhe
vast question of outdoor recreation. So important
has the national parks movement become that It is
regarded by competent students of the times as
the vest non-poIitcal issue of the day It has
called together National Parks Army" with
nationwide strength Of between four and five
million nature lovers of all ranks and conditions
of life, all political erceds all religions The
democracy of out-of-dOors is the most democratic
of all demOcracies.
The enrolment and functioning of this "Na-
tiOna Park Army showed these things: The pop
ular support of the recreation movement; the pos
sibiitics of a more effective organization and the
Bdvsability of the participation of the admin!stra
tive branch of the federal government. So the
time was ripe for the National outdoor Recreation
conference this summer in Washington called by
President Coolidge.
The appointment of the Presidents committee
on National Outdoor Recreation the first step.
Secretaries Weeks, Work, Wallace Hoover and
Assistant Secretary Roosevelt the members
of the committee asked by the President to sug
gest to him how national outdoor recreation pol
icy could best be formulated and put into action"
This committee is fttngly constituted. Secre-
tares Weeks, Work and Wallace are the three
members Of the federal power commission which
has general administrative control over all water
power sites the public lands and reservations.
existing national parks excepted Mr.. weeks, as
secretary of war is interested In public roads, Is
In charge of the national military parks and Is
The author of the Weeks act, under which have
been made extensive forest purchases In the White
mountains ard the Appaachans
Doctor Work, secretary of the interior.
arois the National Park service, the general land
office, the Office of Indian affairs, and the bureau
of education Secretary Wallace is in control of
the forest service which administers the national
forests; and the bureaus of biological survey, pub
lie roads and plant industry.
Secretary Hoover has charge of the bureau Of
fisheries and is officially Interested In mining and
transportation. Moreover he is president of the
National Parlts' association. unofficial nation
wide organization Of nature lovers influential In
directing the activities Of the "Nationa Park
Army" Col. Theodore Roosevelt Of the Navy de-
partment is a nature lover by inheritance. He is
executive chairman.
Colonel Roosevelt appointed assisting COM
mittee consisting of representatives Of the execu-
tive departments mentioned and Charles Sheldon