Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-27

| hazard fashion, or because of political
| considerations, Is unjust and unjusti-
! fable. IT is difficult to see how "a
better or more careful method of de-
| termining the questions involved
could have been pursued by Congress.
| Surely, no criticism can be leveled
against the members of the Southern
Appalachian National Park Commits
| sion. The integrity, unselfish spirit
and ability Of its membership for the
work in hand are beyond all question.
| The country at large should be ever
| lastingly grateful to the commission
| for its splendid work by means of
which the creation of an adequate
| system of national parks east of the
| Mississippi has been made possible.
AS the areas necessary for these
| three projects have to be purchased
| through State and private enterprise.
| the legislation involved in the two
bills referred to became necessary to
| the success Of the campaigns for the
| raising of the needed funds and the
procurement OF the needed lands.
| Had these bills failed of passage. all
of the work and expenditures which
have gone before in these campaigns
would have come to naught. The
| spirit shown by subscribers and do.
nors in their efforts to provide for
| the creation of national parks in the
| East is, In the highest degree, com
mendable: and since several millions
of dollars must be raised in order to
conSummate each of these projects, It
| VIII be most unfortunate If any one
claiming to be the friend of an ade-
quate national parA system should un.
deftake to fnaugurate any back fire
attacks on these projects, now that
! u
presidential approval.
| Because, Congress under its consti-
tutional right and authority, under
takes TO set up the legislative ma
chinery whereby the people east of
| the Mtssissippi-and. in varying de
| gree, all Of our people--may have the
great benefits which must follow the
creation of national parks in this re-
gion, there should be no denial of
| these benefits because some one may
have ideas upon the subject different
| from those entertained by Congress
and it's committees, and by the COM
mission under the act of Congress Gre
| ated to make the requisite surveys
and studies, SO long as Congress may
! follow the procedure observed in the
cases under discussion, there will be
no danger of the "breakinG down. OF
our national park system.
Areas Well Enough Known.
| Regarding these projects it has been
suggested that the people have not
| had the opportunity to see the re-
gions involved, or to pass upon their
merits as national park propositions.
| Possibly. a national referendum on
| the subject of creating and locating
| additional national parks is desired.
AS to the Mammoth Cave project, II
may be said that the people Of our
own and foreign lands for generations
! have been visitors to the great caves
! and caverns of this region, and long
since they have united in declaring
| Mammoth Cave to he one of the
Seven Wonders" of the. modern
world.
| Since this unique and distinguished
designation has been bestowed on the
original Mammoth Cave. many other
great cavern units have been discover
| ed, contiguous thereto. a number of
! them rivaling that great natural phe-
| nomenon in vastness of extent and
! in other features of commanding in
! terest. Today the whole undoubtedly
constitutes the greatest and most eX-
! tensiye system of caves and Caverns
| in the earth; and this region is stu
| ated near the center of our American
|
means of travel every day of the
wear Under the terms of the recently
enacted Mammoth Cave National Park
| bill, all these units, including the
original Mammoth Cave, must be ac-
auired and conveyed to the United
| States before the park is established.
The maximum area involved is more
than 20, 600 acres.
Large Sum to BE Raised.
| 1t has been suggested that the diff
| flculties in securing title to the Shen-
;andoah and other areas involved in
these national park projects. because
Of the private ownership involved.
would entail a delay and involve
heavy expenditure. This should be no
argument against the legislation
which has been enacted by Congress
providing for the establishment OF
these national parks. but should only
serve to emphasize the need for such
legislation.
To raise the vast sums required
for each of these national park
projects through local and private en-
terprise, Is, indeed. a great task. Such
work imposes tremendous RESPONSE
bility on the civic enterprise under
taking 1t, and 1t seems to me that we
|
| knockers"
Regarding any suggestion which
may be made. that sufficient time has
not been given to the consideration of
these national park projects, or that
the people are not sufficiently &C.
quainted with them, 1t may be said
that questions of this sort must neces-
sarily be settled in the general man.
ner in which they have been settled i'll
the present instance. Congress has
! plenary power to deal with such mat
tiers. but as regards these proposed
national park units. it sought TO Sc
cure the needed information in a prac-
teal and adequate way.
Certainly no other areas east of the
Mississippi have been indicated by
| any one as being more appropriate or
| better suited for national park pur-
| poses than are these involved in the
| Shenandoah. Great Smokes and Mann
! moth Cave projects; and no better
suited areas can he found. After our
| people have waited 140 years for the
! establishment of "a system of national
parks in the East. Congress has con-
! cluded that it is time that the work
! he started. The ultimate authority
and responsibility in such matters.
under the Constitutions rest with Con
gress, and Congress, in the utmost
! good faith. has sought to meet the oh.
! legations imposed. In my Judgment.
not only will the great body of the
American people now living commend
the work of the present Congress in
\ enacting the legislation complained
! Of, but. also, all of the generations yet
to come will commend 1t.
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