Evening star., 1926-08-01


Master Artists finest original
4 masterpieces, are about to as.
sumo a higher status in the
scheme of civilizing progress which,
it is confidently believed, win protect
them forever from the encroaching
dangers of commercialization and in
sidious political influences.
Set aside originally as priceless ex-
empleS of the primitive American
wilderness, where tired men and
women might go and find new life
and hope in vigorous outdoor recre-
alton amid natural beauty, they are
now being made ready to impart to
the traveller at the same time the
store of knowledge that has been
locked UP in their rocks and ancient
forests since time began.
In thus inheriting their ultimate
destiny and becoming great outdoor
universities. however, the national
parks are to surrender none of their
recreational ideals. Their vocation as
the Fairgrounds Qf the Nation is not
TO be subordinate to the newer edu-
Cative program. Rather, the educa-
tive possibilities they possess will Of
fer a new and more thrilling form of
recreation to increase those already
established.
Nature Guide Program.
There are several reasons for thus
bringing these beautiful Fairgrounds
10 their highest ideal. The thought
first found seed in the mind of
Stephen T. Mather. director of the
National Park Service, back in 1920.
when he established a nature guide
service in the Yosemite. Since then
this service has been extended to
other parks, and now a program is
= :
parks mighty universities where the
only requirements for matriculation
are a genuine desire for knowledge.
This program has come to the front
rapidly in the last two years, how
ever, because of the constantly grow
ing pressure being brought, to bear in
Congress to open up the primeval for
ests of the national parks for grazing
purposes and to permit engineers to
dam up the many beautiful waterfalls
TO provide more power for the wheels
of industry out in the new world be-
yond their borders.
Such a policy would. of course, be
ruinous to the entire national parks
system. Whatever compensation 1t
might bring to a comparatively small
group of industrial and agricultural
interests would be Smothered under
the tremendous loss OF the last few
untouched examples of the original
American wilderness. The hand of
man has civilized all else; only these
remain to give posterity living ex-
hibits of life as it was in the begin
ming.
New Policy FOR Parks.
Friends of the national parks have
come to realize more and more in the
last five years that the parks policy
would soon have to De stated anew,
giving these beautiful reservations
something more substantial than val
uation as places of recreation and
beauty. With the rapid development
of the State parks program of the
various commonwealths. outdoor re-
Creational facilities are being in
creased tremendously, without re-
course to the national parks. Their
Ioveliness alone would not long save
them from commercial development.
So, faced with this problem, Sec
Tetary of the Interior Work, Mr..
Mather and group of men who have
devoted their lives to the preserva-
tion of these natural cases in the
desert of industrialism and civilizing
Influences, met here in Washington
few months ago and began shaping a
new national parks policy. To some
few sections, that policy will not prove
welcome, but it is regarded as offer
ing permanent salvation to the ma
tlonal parks.
The existing national parks must
stand the test of revaluation. A ma
ttonal park to hold its place in this
national picture gallery must be an
outstanding example OF the original
wilderness of which it is the sold re-
naming exhibit Its topography must |
be truly representative of the section
in which it lies, and it's flora must
have an abundance of the species in
digenous to that section. Even in
size, it must meet a new and more
severe standard.
May Become State Parks.
Under such a revaluation program, |
It is probable that most of the So
called monuments now protected and |
will be turned back to the States for |
future development At least two ex-
listing national parks undoubtedly |
will be converted into State parks |
Whether any other areas will re-
vert back to the States or be returned
to he public DOMAIN for commercial de-
velopment remains to be decided by
the forthcoming survey.
1t is generally admitted that one or
NWO Oh LllE w 6SI6TH 1ldIlOIldl PARKS
are so close that they constitute twin |
examples OF the same geographical
section. II the impending program is
interpreted literally. it is likely that |
one of these areas must be removed |
from the National Parks Service, |
since any area to be a national park |
must hereafter be an outstanding ex-
flibit of the country and life as they |
existed in primitive times
Into such a program, officials have
stated, both the newly created Shen. |
endoah National Park and the Great |
Smoky Mountain National Park will
fit ideally. The Shenandoah National
Park is an amazing example of the
Southern Appalachian Mountains as
they were before man made them his
conquest. All of the original flora
and much of the fauna still runs wild
over peaks that are exceptional ex-
emples of the entire mountain
system.
Great Smoky Different.
On the other hand, the Great
Smoky Mountain National Park is
representative of an entirely different
mountain development, though only
about 500 miles from the Shenandoah
Park. Both areas were selected by a
committee that was fully informed as
TO the lnlpenuAilS CIdHEeS III the Ma
tional parks policy. In fact, the
choice of the Shenandoah area first !
resulted largely from the stipulation
that the first park must be an out
standing example of the topography
and life of the Southern Appalachian
Mountains The Great Smoky area
was so entirely different that it was
regarded as being representative of
an entirely different geographical up
heaVal.
Once the national parks system has