Evening star., 1925-06-21

" X,
largest of all. virtually
every one Of the vast ma
tural Fairgrounds set apart by the
Government Is Welcoming the children
Of all ages Before snow flies in this
part of the country, not less tha I
1000 900 men, women, boys and girls,
according |" conservative eStima teS,
will have enjoyed wholesome hea lth.
ful holidays amid these scenes of out.
door grandeur unsurpassed anywhere
on the globe. For the present season
promises to sec all records for tourist
travel to the national parks shattered.
Except for the limited number that
can afford the time ard money re-
quired by long journeys. however.
this boon is not for the population of
the East. circumstances have de
creed that with the single exception
of the diminutive Lafayette Park on
The coast of Maine. all OF the national
parks shall be located in the far West,
Hawaii and Alaska.
Steps to overcome this preponder-
ence of favor. which without design
operates against the people of the
East, are being taken. The Govern
ment is keenly alive to the right of
the East to possession Of national
parks and the last session of Con
Gress authorized the creation of a
commission of i've experts TO inVeSti-
gate the availa bilitN OF three Eastern
sites for national parks.
a principal reason Tor the West :
monopoly of such parks has been the
comparative ease with which they
CO.. Id he created. Generally speaking
little more was necessary than 10 set
apa II public domain surn irac.S n ;
contained "sCene"y Of Qn4i.ly 80 nm
usual and impressive. or u5tturil faa-
lures 50 eNtraordinar%. a 10 possess
national interest and imporJa nee as
ontradistin@uished from local inter
est -
In The East. however. the situation
is much more complicated. Almost
all land worthy OF inclusion in the ma
nonal park system (which is really
very exclusive society. for q funda-
mental principal is the avoidance of
duplicating scenery that is already TO
he found in national park is in
private ownership. This makes neCes-
Sary the condemnation and purchase
by the Government Of such areas as
are not donated by private individ
uals or by States.
x =
1T was At the urgent request OF Sec
retarN of the Interior Hubert Work
hat Congress has voted investigation
sissippi. particularly in the Appalach
ians. He particularly recommended
study of that part of the Blue Ridge
Mountains of Virginia living east of
the south fork of the Shena nduah
River and between Front ROYAL on
The north and Waynesboro on the
south. TO be known as the Shenandoah
National Park. and that part of the
Smoky Mountains lying on the border
hp
nesSee. to he known as the Smoky
Mountains National Park. The bill
as passed, however, added the Mann
moth Cave of Kentucky. which. Il is
understood. will soon be thrown on
the market. after about "A century Of
private ownership. for private pur-
chase unless the Government &C
quires it,
Until the adjustment of one or
more of these additions TO the chain.
in spite of the fact that its entire op-
era ton is controlled from d cluster Of
offices AT the southeast corner of
Eighteenth and T. streets northwest
NaShingtonianS for the most part Will
have 10 content themselves with
!onG-distance view Of the pleasures
Encle Sam provides with lavish hand
in the great West. But il is a pie
ture worth viewing even in this
manner.
The history Of the national parks,
which are administered by the Ma
tonal Park Service of the Department
Of the Interior. Stephen II. Mather
director, dates back almost a century
TO the establishment of the Hot
Springs Reservation III central
Arkansas in 1882. But it was 40 years
later, in 1872. before another. great
Yellowstone, was created. It was at
this time that there was coined in
Congress the historic phrase. for the
benefit and enjoyment of the people. "
And to a greater degree than ever be
fore this slogan represents the goal
and underlying value of the parks.
One by one new national parks were
added to the chain until today there
are 19. covering total uf ll.312
square miles, or 1.277.109 acres Nor
does this include the military
parks administered by The Nar De
partment. 80 national monuments
covering A million acres. under the
National Park Service. and II national
monuments. covering 300. 900 acres,
under the Department of Agriculture
" Is only = few years ago hst the
total Of visitors to ali ihe parks and
monuments scarcely exceeded 100. 900
For the journey To them Was essen
tally luxury The nearest most
folks got was the sterenacope or grand
mothers Whatn0t. Then cam. the
automobile That, too AT first WAS
IuXury, but was soon 10 ouIgruu-
classification as playthinG of the
rich.
IRON the beginning the national
parks have been focal points for