Evening star., 1925-01-11

Smoky area
"Of the existing 19 national parks,
all with the exception of one are
located in the Western States. It is
time that a definite policy be adopted
for the creation of at least two ma
tional parks in the Eastern section
for the benefit of its millions of In
habitants who live in densely popu-
lated communities AS a matter of
fact, the people of the East are prob
ably more in need of opportunities
for outdoor life than any other part
of the country.
''The proposed national park in the
Blue Ridge Mountains, with its scenic
and recreational qualities, will draw
visitors from a population of 1000, 900
inhabitants. A second national park
in the Smoky Mountains area in Ten
nessee and North Carolina will also
give outdoor recreational facilities to
many millions more In the South.
These proposed sites are Identical in
area, both are small for national park
purposes and one should be operated
to supplement the other"
Commission Disinterested.
No member of the Southern Appala-
chan Mountain Park Commission, it
is pointed out. had any interests in
Virginia, or the Blue Ridge area that
was finally selected. The chairman of
the committee is DR.. Henry W. Tenn
pie, Representative in Congress from
Pennsylvania: Col. Glenn s. Smith of
the United States Geological Survey,
Maj. W. A. Welch of the Palisades
Interstate Park, Harlan P. Kelsey of
the Appalachian Mountain Club and
William c. Gregg of the National
Arts Club were the other members.
While the members of this commit
tee were examining the score or more
of sites that were seeking the honor
of selection last Summer and late
into the Fall, they particularly point
ed out to each that should they fail
to be chosen, they must not refuse
to get quickly behind the more for
tunate section in order to assure the
East having a national park. All,
according to members of the commits
sion, eagerly promised.
But scarcely had the committee an
nounced selection of the site in the
Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia
as the outstanding area in the East"
than two or three of the areas in
North Carolina and Tennessee began
introducing bills asking Congress to
create their sections as national
parks, merely on the strength of the
bill declaring them to be suitable
for such purposes.
Bills Ask Action.
There are two bills seeking to make
the Blue Ridge Mountain section of
North Carolina, known as Grand
father Mountain, a park, despite the
fact that members of the committee
frankly announced that it is not even
suitable for such a purpose. Al
though the scenery is quite attrac-
tive there. it has been pointed out, the
area is less than half as large as
either the Virginia or Tennessee sites,
is crossed by at least two railroads
and has g. number of automobile roads
running into it which are thickly
populated.
When the Southern Appalachian
Mountain National Park COMMITTEES
was first created it set down a num-
Der of rules that each member pledged
himself not to violate. One Of these
provided that the proposed park
should cover an area of at least 500
square miles; another was that it
| must be wild. in its natural state,
without having been chopped up by
man: and, third, that no site crossed
by railroad could be considered,
since the Government must be sole
possessor of everything in the park.
Consider Site Haired.
That, according to leading members
or the committee, put the Grandfather
Mountain section out of the running
at the outset, and it has been def
nitely stated that such an area would
not have been seriously considered
even If other finer, larger areas had
not been found in ample numbers,
bits OF natural wonderland answering
every requirement laid down by men
who have made the creation of ma
tional parks-masterp in the
Nations gallery Of natural wonders
| their life mission.
Although several measures have
also been introduced in the House of
representative seeking to have the
Great smoky Mountain area of Ten
nessee and North Carolina purchased
as a national park, an agreement be-
tween the organizations that are be-
hlnd that project and those that are
boosting the selected Virginia site
mas virtually been reached, under
which each has pledged its support to
the other
Three outstanding factors domf-
\nateo the selection Of the Blue Ridge
Mountains of Virginia by a. unani-
nous and enthusiastic vote Eirst
IL meets every scenic and natural re-
qulrement prescribed by the commit
tee; second, it is within a single
days ride of 40,O00,0O0 city-bound
Americans, the people who need a
latlona! park as haven where they
may build anew worn-out minds and
bodies, and. third, within a. radius NJ
$50 miles Of It are more nIacss ~
| tremendous historic fmportance to
Americans than anywhere else in the
Nation
Climate Most Favorable.
Dramatically, too, 1t outstrips all
n O TfJ 10
single month of any normal wear
| that the park would have to be
| closed. Spring, Summer and Fall the
SUBMITS of those mountain peaks
| are veritable cloud kissed dream
, lands, and in Winter they can be
made into an American Alps, places
where every kind of Winter sport
skiing, sleighing, tobogganing, Ice
! skating-may be enjoyed by every
GLASS OF society.
Charges Of unfairness, too, it is
declared, cannot be made over the
selection of the Virginia site It was
the very last to enter the competi-
tion, and came so late, in fact, that
| the commissioners barely had time
to examine it before the cold weather
| set In. Several. members admitted
that they made the trip purely out of
courtesy, expecting to find nothing in
1hdI leSioH "orlhy OF becoming
| national park, and came away a week
| later simply overwhelmed with the
wondrous beauties they had seem
Before and since that visit other
| men who have visited all of the ma
| tional parks in the country have ex-
| amined 1t, and pronounced it equal in
beauty to any park in the West. In
| addition, its geographic situation and
| condition will make 1t possible to
convert 1t into real park at far less
| expense and in much less time than