Evening star., 1924-04-21
IN TODAY'S / SPOTLIGHT
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS

This Is Forest-Protection week and
next Friday will be Arbor day, as
proclaimed by the President. All over
the United States in all public schools
and in many public ceremonies the
thoughts of the people will be di-
rected to consider the Importance of
conserving the forests. Not alone the
country people are interested in pro-
tecting forests but equally are the in
habitants of the cities. From the for
ests come wood for fuel and for lum-
ber; from the forests come the
springs which are the sources of the
brooks which make the rivers. In
the forests-especially the forests
prmeval-lies the charm of nature
which makes outdoor recreation de-
lightful. There are the odor of the
woods and flowers and the songs of
birds-the rest of tired nerves and
the renewal of joy in life.
We are destroying our forest in
heritance four times as fast as ma
ture can renew it. AT present rates
In only a few decades America will
stumps where fire has devastated will
still stand bleak and desolate, like
blackened cemetery. the most woeful
sight in all nature. The hills will be
quilted by floods, destroying their
fmr i'ity. the bro o1ks and then ~"
rivers Will overflow, later to be
parched with drought; grass will yell
low and die.
That is not a picture of the next
thousand years nor the coming CEN
tury. 1t applies to the next twenty
years. In some regions il is already
upon us, and in many other parts the
next ten years will find all timber
gone, and the sawmills removed be
cause there is no more devastation
for their work where they have
wrought
The President has appointed a spe-
cial committee composed mostly of
Cabinet officials, whose object is to
devise means of encouraging outdoor
recreation for all the people. What
greater lure can be devised than the
great forests to draw men from hot
brick walls OF the cities?
The groves were Gods first tenn
All. why
Should we in the worlds ripper years,
neglect
Gods ancient sanctuaries, and adore
Only among the crowd, and under
roofs
That our frail hands have raised?
Millions of America have asked
themselves that question in recent
years. Perhaps many have felt the
instinct to return to the inspiration
of the groves" without conscious rec
ognition OF devoutness, for while in
1917 there were 100000 visitors to
the public forest reservations. scat
tered throughout the land, in 1923
there were 1900, ,000 of whom 9,000,-
600 sought the parts inaccessible by
rail-. for they Travelled in their auto
mobiles.
Ask any of these travellers whether
the forests should be preserved and
all will deprecate their rapid deple-
ton by the sawmills.
In the United States forest bureau
story is told of a forest ranger out
west who was taking photographs in
the great primeval forest when he
chanced to note two automobiles
along a road. An hour later a forest
fire was discovered in the vicinity
Of that road. The ranger, next day
took powerful magnifying glass
and examined his negative, and he
was able to read the number of one
of the automobiles in his picture
By wireless the number and descrip-
ton of the tourists were broadcast
and 100 miles away the party was
arrested and charged with having
carelessly caused the forest fire which
had burned over many acres before
the fire-fghter could arrest it
They confessed that a lighted cigar
had been tossed into the leaves be-
side the trail.
A fool there was, and he flung a match,
Even as you and l,
CareleSsly down on Il sun dried patch
Giving no heed that a fire might catch
And spread to the timber with quick
dispatch,
Even as you and l.
The fool passed on with wondering
look.
Even as you and I.
He couldn't explain the fire that took
The forest away and dried the brook
And left the region Il place forsook.
He was fool-that'sS why.
y x X x
In the last seven years there have
been an average annual number of
500 forest fires. In 1922 there were
51,S91 fires, destroying 11.50o,000
acres of forest. 1t rained more in
1923. so there were not so many