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

" HE Congress of the United
states took great forward
stride when, recently. it en-
acted two measures pro-
VidinS for the adjustment
OF an adequate system of national
parks east OF the Mississippi River.
One of these bills provides For the
establishment of the Shenandoah Ma
ttonal Park in the Blue Ridge Shen-
andoah section of Virginia, almost
within sight of the Nations Capitol.
and the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park In the most rugged
ranges of the Appa!a chian system
and lying within ~" States of North
Carolina and Tennessee. The other
bill provides for Tie establishment OF
the Mammoth Cave National Park
i'll the world famous Mammoth Cave
region in kentucky.
The general reaction Of the people
TO the passage OF these bills by Con-
gress and 20 their approval by the
President has been OF a cory Sratify
ing chara cter AS may always be
expected. however. any sp!endidly
creative or progressive sep will
here ana there rect with criticism
of a reaotionarv character, Thus, it
has been suggested Sat Congress in
hts enactment % Ibis legislation had
no adequate k-cwladge o" informa-
ton concerning Tho national park
projects tS~DlV"a. and was influenced
in It's action by rolitica! considera-
ton. This Is denied as being with
out any foundation oe fact.
Any such criticism. IL its last
analysis. constitutes IA criticism of
the actor OF the Southern Appa-
lachian Ne tional Park Commission
anf certain officials of the Interior
Depagunea' eSc is wholly unjust.
Large sums cs money must yet be
raised with h'ch to purchase the
needef areas Coz t,ese three national
park prof. cts ana any criticism of
the Indicated character. or any mis-
statements oe Fact IL regard to the
subjec. il no. fairly met or eX-
planned. nl"r' IN some measure
hinder or rctare the work OF raising
Tho required funds. 1t may be well.
theresosa 20 give something of the
history OF tho steps which have been
taken which have resulted in the
enactment of the legislation men,
toned, and. incidentally. in a gen
eral way. TO respond TO any criti-
ciSmS involved.
Pro, ision for East.
careful study of these steps will
disclose the fact that Congress has
acted, not because of any political
considerations. but through a sin
cere desire to provide for the people
of the great region east of the
Mississippi River the system Of ma
tionai park to which they are so
eminertly entitled.
In VA the Secretary of the In
terror appointed a committee to make
a survey and study OF the areas com
prised in the proposed Shenandoah
and Great Smoky Mountains national
park projects. This committee was
comprised of men of the highest
character and eminently qualified
for the work. 1t was made up OF
Ave members. as follows Chairman,
DR.. Henry W. Temple, member of
Congress from Pennsylvania: secre
tary. Col. Glenn S. Smith, acting
chief topographic engineer Of the
United States Geological Survey and
representative of the Interior De
partment on the committee, and three
other members. Maj. w. A. Welsh,
chief engineer and general manager
of the Palisades Interstate Park of
New York and New Jersey; Harlan p.
Kelsey. former president of the APP
palachian Mountain Club of Boston.
and William G. Gregg Of the National
Arts Club of New York. In the same
year. after making the studies in
question, the committee united in n
report to the Secretary of the In
terror declaring the national park
eligibility of these two projects. This
report was made by the commission
under date of December 10, 1924, and
received the approval of the Secre-
tary of the Interior.
AS pointed out by the public lands
committee of the House and the pub
lie lands and surveys committee of
the Senate, in their favorable reports
on the bill providing for the estab-
lishment of the Mammoth Cave Ma
tional Park, the acquisition of the
Mammoth Cave area for national
park purposes was strongly urged by
Stephen Z. Mather, then and now d.
rector OF the National Park Service.
in his annual reports of 1918, 1919 and
1920. Also. as indicated in the same
two committee reports, the Secretary
of the Interior, in formal communi-
cation to the chairman of the House
committee on public lands in June,
1924. in regard to a bill pending in
Congress relating 20 the Mammoth
Cave project declared that ''the
Mammoth Cave is one Of the most
widely known natural features OF
America and that "unquestionably
the Mans.bth Cave is worthy of ma
tlonal park STATUS.
Many Bills Introduced
For years bills have been before
Congress providing for the appropria-
ton of funds for the purchase of the
Mammoth Cave lands for national
park purposes, but Congress has
never inaugurated a policy of author
izing appropriations for the acquisi-
ton of national park areas, and with
the necessity of paying our World
War Indebtedness and reducing taxes
before II, such policy is not now con-
sidered advisable by Congress. Hence,
in the legislation providing for the
establishment of the Shenandoah,
Great Smoky Mountain and Nam
moth Cave national parks, it is spe-
officially provided that all of the re-
quired lands must be conveyed to the
United States free of cost. All of
the national parks in the West have
been carved out of the national do
main, but there are no public land
areas in the East fitted for national
park purposes. Therefore only pri-
vWtely owned lands may be secured
for such purposes.
After years of discussion. and after
the great national parks of the West
were created Congress reached the
conclusion that the time had come
for the taking of practical steps for
the establishment Of national parks
in the Last. With the single eXcep- |
ton OF Il very small unt-Lata!eiIe
National Park, on the coast of
Maine--aIl of our scIional parks lie
west Of the Mississippi River. and
practically all of them lie west Of thu
eastern base of the Rocky Mountains. |
Yet, more than two-thirds of our
y. rA -
the Mississippi, and the Overwhelming
y,,,rohey- Of them n nd IL frnpoSsible as |