The Colorado statesman., 1924-05-17

a tentative nropram and calls n national confer
outdoor recreation which Is now uhuer
way at Washington. Says the President In part;
Particularly within the last decade. the outdoor
recreation spirit among our people has Increased
rapidly. During this period there nave Deeh S put
forward proJects-federal. municipal state ana
private-to expand and conserve throughout the
country recreational opportunities
1t is almost Idle to emphasize @ @thear ttS value TO
the country. The physical vigor, moral strength
the clean simplicity of mind of the American peo-
pie can be immeasurably furthered by the properly
developed opportunities for the life In the open
afforded by forests. mountains, and water
Life in the open Is great character builder
From such life much OF the American spirit OF
all for sucn life ranks in the general class with
Tbough all are concerned in this matter the
must be and should be taken by the national gov
ernment. Our national government is already
cerned in many phases of it, but in an incoherent
munner. the administration OF national parks
national forests wild-lfe reserves and unreserved
domain the government holds almost unlimited
opportunities for this form OF public service.
In order handle this matter properly. to adjust
widely separated viewpoints and interlock the
interests concerned efficiently. there would be
definite clearly prescribed national policy. The
whole matter being nationwide in its scope. de-
should therefore be to promulgate national policy
which should merely coordinate under federal
guidance all activities in behalf OF outdoor
ton but also formulate a program to serve
guide for future action.
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Roosevelt,
ecutive chairman of the conference, sent out in
vItatlons to more than one hundred organizations
TO send delegates Secretaries Weeks Work, Wal
lace. Hoover and Assistant Secretary Roosevelt
President to suggest to him how n national out
door recreation policy could best be formulated
and put into action"
This committee is fttingly constituted and the
work of its members will be largely n labor OF
love Secretaries Weeks, Work and Wallace are
the three members of the federal power commits
sion which has general administrative control over
all waterpower sites the public lands and reser-
vations, existing national parks excepted. Mr..
Weeks secretary OF war. is interested in public
roads is in charge of the national military parks
and Is president of the national forest reserva-
ton commission which under the Weeks act has
made extensive forest purchases in the White
mountains and AnPnlHChans.
Dr. Work, secretary of the interior, controls
the national park service the general land office,
the office of Indian affairs, and the bureau of edu-
cation Secretary Wallace is in control of the
forest service which administers the national for
ests: and the bureaus of biological survey, public
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 Parks association an unofficial nation
wide organization of nature lovers influential in
directing the activities of the National Park
Army" This Army has voting strength of A.,
100000 ead its political power has been strklngy