Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-27
THREE EASTERN PARK PROJECTS
DECLARED SOUND PUBLIC POLICY
Shenandoah, Great Smokes and Mammoth Cave
Areas Meet All Requirements for National Play
grounds, Says Representative Thatcher.
Continued from Third Page.)

commission in favor of the projects,
and the two houses also were largely
influenced by this report. In regard
to the Mammoth Cave project, the
following Is quoted from the report
of the public lands committee of the
House:
1.-THE original Mammoth Cave,
known to the world for generations
as one of the Seven Wonders of the
World must be sold at public auction
when the last legatee under a will
probated more than rs years ago shall
die. This holder of the life estate is
woman, now we'll over 90 years of
age and very feeble. Because Of her
advanced age her death may occur at
any moment, and since this particular
property-the old Mammoth Cave
must be acquired and decided to the
United States, under the terms Of this
bill before the proposed park may be
established, 1t is considered of the
greatest importance that the bill be
enacted into law without delay. so that
the friends Of the Mammoth Cave
National Park project may be in posi-.
ton to raise the necessary funds with
which to purchase this property when
it shall be sold at auction under the
terms of the will. IL this particular
property should pass into the hands
of spectators this national park
project might be forever destroyed.
Provision for Larger Area.
an transmitting to Congress the re
port of the Southern Appalachian Ma
tional Park Commission referred TO.
the Secretary of the Interior made no
recommendation for or against the
Mammoth Cave National Park prof
ect, but indicated that the lands thus
far offered in donation We're INSULT
cient to constitute q national park. 1t
is true that the lands and cave right $
offered thus far for the proposed park
are insufficient for the purpose, but
the bill now under recommendation
meets this station by providing that
II and when the required area, as set
forth in the recommendation OF the
aforesaid commission, shall be &C
quired and conveyed to the United
States, free of cost, the Secretary of
the Interior shall thereupon haze au-
thorlty to accept the same for national
park purposes"
The House committee on public
lands also quoted from the annual re-
ports of 1918. 1919 and 1920 of the
director of the national park service
wherein his earnest approval was
given to the Mammoth Cave National
Park project. The committee also
quoted the statement of the Secretary
of the Interior in regard to the ma
tional park status of Mammoth Cave
hereinbefole referred to. The com
mittee concluded its report in behalf
of the Mammoth Cave bill with the
following summary:
ITO sum up briefly, it may he said
that the system of caves and caverns
In the Mammoth Cave region of Ken
lucky Is, it is believed, the greatest
and most extensive in all the world
Mammoth Cave. itself, for more than
@ century has been known through
out every civilized land, and is al
ready sold" to the people of every
civilized nation. AS a national park
this region will attract great numbers
of visitors. and will, undoubtedly.
prove to be one of the most popular.
Of all our national parks. 1t should
also prove to be one of the best rev
enue yielding of all our national
parks, situated as it is very near the
center of American population and
| accessible, as it is, every day of the
year by steamboat, motor car and
railroad.
No Rivalry Between Parks.
There Is no conflict or rivalry be-
tween the Shenandoah, the Great
Smoky Mountains and the Mammoth
Cave National Park projects. They
are separated by sufficient distances
to avoid any conflict or rivalry, and
each will serve a great section of our
most populous regions. and each is
distinctive in its appeal. Also, each
will serve the country at large, and
If the Mammoth Cave National Park
is established it will be the only ma
tional park in the United States which
will have flowing through it a nav
igable river on which large steam
boats ply throughout the year.
I'm separate report we have given
our approval to a measure having for
its purpose the creation of the other
two national parks referred to, and
we now give like approval to the
present measure, having for its pur-
pose the creation of the Mammoth
Cave National Park. Surely if the
required lands may be donated to the
United States Government for ma
| tional park purposes they should be
| accepted and this marvellous system
| Of caves and caverns, together with
it's attractive contiguous areas, con-
verified into a national park and for
ever preserved for the benefit of the
American people"
The Senate committee on public
lands and surveys adopted as its own
| the detailed report in favor of the
Mammoth Cave bill, made by the
House committee on public lands.
Thereupon, the two bills went before
the two houses of Congress and were
first acted on by the Senate. where
they passed without dissenting vote.
They were next considered by the
House, where both measures also
passed without dissenting vote