Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-21
WOULD CURB WASTE.
IN U. S. RESOURCES.
Wilbur and Nye Tell Nation
of Interior Problems
Over Radio.

An intimate picture of the admins
tration Of the natural resources of this
country was drawn for the American
public last night by DR.. Ray Lyman
Wilbur, Secretary of the Interior, and
United States Senator Gerald P. Nye
of North Dakota, chairman of the SEN
ate public lands committee, speaking
in the National Radio Forum arranged
by The Evening Star and sponsored by
the Columbia Broadcasting System
Their addresses, delivered through sta
ton wMAl. were carried over Nation
wide hook-up.
AS head Of the department which has
direct charge Of the public domain, Sec
retary Wilbur discussed the great issue
confronting that branch Of the Govern
Observation-Disclosures particular
reference to oil and water, and also
delved into another important problem
Of his office-Indian affairs.
Senator Nye, chairman of commit
tee which has come into particular
prominence due to the celebrated naval
oil lease investigation, told how this
committee is linked with the Interior
Department because 1t lays down the
laws governing the administration Of
the public domain, explained its work.
ings, entered a vigorous defense Of the
oil probe and told of the results flow-
ing from 1t, and, also dwelling on con-
servation, took occasion to praise the
new oil policy instituted by President
Hoover.
Waste Must Be Curbed.
Declaring that the oil resources of
the country are exhaustible, and that
I'VE have built up a civilization here
on the gasoline engine" DR.. Wilbur
asserted 1t was vitality necessary that
waste be curbed.
Conservation does not mean preser-
vation," he amplified. "It means wist
use" He then explained that the idea
that must be kept in mind is to get
the maximum oil out of the ground
and the maximum use of 1t, once it has
been brought out.
"It is said that $500 ,ooo, 900 are
invested in American oil companies, :"
Secretary Wilbur said. Certainly, with
the millions Of automobiles, with the
need for further development of the
airplane, with the possibility Of national
defense, 1t Is evident that something
should be DONE"
AS for the Indian problem, which
Wilbur said that the wardship, exer-
cised by the Government, has not been
wholesome, broadly speaking"
He explained that there are some
thing like 100000 Indians under4Gov-
ernment care. told of the failure to
aSsimilate them into the xHfe of the
Nation and said that nows''the aim is to
think In terms Of the Indian boy and
girl Of today and ,tfy to develop plans
so they win be- able to merge into the
full life Of .An1erican citizens when they
reach maturity"
He. anticipates that the next quarter
of n century will see "a large part of
this great national problem" settled.
Address Of DR.. Wilbur.
The secretary,s speech In full follows:
When our forefathers settled on the
Atlantic shore of this great country
they found the Indians already here.
The Indian had made success of con-
uuering practically the whole Ameri-
can continent. Tireless hunters, natural
woodsmen and great travellers, they
moved about with the game and with
the great herds Of buffalo. In some
places they had developed dictinct local
civilizations, such as those Of the Pueblo
Indians in New Mexico. and In others
there was a sharp specialization, where
they lived largely upon salmon or other
local source Of natural food supply. Ap-
parently their forefathers came across
the Bering Straits from Asia and grad
ually made what one could call q
pedestrian invasion extending clear
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