Seward daily gateway., 1925-03-12

President Coolidge in a proclama tion yesterday called upon the state governors to cooperate in observ ance of the week of April 27 to May 5 as American Forest Week, and rec commended that, wherever possible Arbor Day be celebrated within that week
 American Forest Week will re place the period heretofore desig mated as Forest Protection Week and it's observance will be directed by national citizens committee headed by former Governor Frank O. Lowden, of Illinois. The commit tee is to include 100 representatives of national organizations which are being enlisted in an effort to make observance nationwide.
 In his proclamation the President urged all patriotic citizens to unite in inc common task of forest con servalion and renewal. The forests of the future must be started to- day" he said. Our children are de- pendent on our course. We are bound by a solemn obligation from which no evasion and no subterfuge will relieve us"
 The proclamation follows:
 Tn proclaiming American For est week, I desire to bring to the attention of all our people the danger that comes from the neg lect Of our forests,
 For several years the nation has observed Forest Protection Week. It is fitting that this ob- servance be enlarged We have too freely spent the rich and magnificent gift that nature be- slowed on us In our eage1ness 10 use that gift we have strip ped our forests; we have let fires to lay waste and devour them; we have all too often des- troyed the young growth and the seed from which new forests might spring And though we already feel the first grip of tim Der shortage we have barely be- gun to save and restore.
 We have passed the pioneer stage and are no longer excusa- ble for continuing this unwise dissipation of a great resource. To the nation it means the lack of an elemental necessity and the waste of keeping idle or only partly productive nearly one-fourth of our soil To our forest-using industries it means unstable investments, the deple- tion of forest capital, the dis banding of established enter prizes, and the decline of one of our most important industrial groups.
 "Our forests ought to be put to work and kept at work I do not minimize the obstacles that have to be met, nor the difficul- ty of changing old ideas and practices We must all put our hands to this common task. It is not enough that the federal state and local governments take the lead. There must be change in our national attitude. Our industries, our landowners, our farmers. all our citizens must learn to treat our forests as crops, to be used but also to be renewed. We must learn to tend our woodlands as carefully as we tend our farms.
 Let us apply to this creative task the boundless energy and skill we have so long spent in harvesting the free gifts of na ture. The forests of the future must be started today. Our children are dependent on our course. We are bound by sol emn obligation from which no evasion and no subterfuge will relieve us. Unless we fulfill our sacred responsibility to un- born generations, unless we use with gratitude and with restraint the generous and kindly gifts of Divine Providence, we shall prove ourselves unworthy guardians of a heritage we hold in trust.
 NOW, THEREFORE, I CAL YIN COOLIDGE, President of the United States, do recommend to the governors of the various states to designate and set apart the week of April 27 to May 3, inclusive, 1925, as American For est Week, and, wherever prac ticable and not in conflict with state law or accepted customs, to celebrate Arbor Day within that week. And urge public