Evening star., 1940-05-10
Move Is Forecast
To Spread Idea Of
National Parks
Association Is Told
latin America Offers
Rich Field for System

A move to interest other American
countries In building up national
park systems of outstanding native
scenery and historic sites may soon
be made by the National Parks AS
sociation, since 1919 self-appointed
watchdog of United States national
parks in particular and champion
Of national parks in general.
Last night at the 21st anniver-
sary banquet of the association at
the Cosmos Club members and
guests heard DR.. Wallace w. At
wood, president of Clark Univer-
sity, Worcester, Mass, recommend
such . move.
DIR. Atwood is past president of
the association and chairman Of q
special committee on nature pro-
lection of the Pan-American Insti-
tute Of Geography and History. He
recently completed a tour Of Latin
America to find out how far the
southern democracies had gone in
preserving their natural and his
torical heritage for posterity.
Finds Some Starts Made.
Only in Argentina, Mexico, the
Dominican Republic and to some
extent, Venezuela, Chile, Ecuador
and Guatemala, he found, had made
starts on national park systems.
Most of our sister nations to the
south are in the stage of park de-
velopment in which the United
States found itself in the 1905"
he said.
DR.. Atwood said he thought q
good will party should be sent
southwark to do park missionary
work in getting other countries
started along the same lines which
have been followed in the United
States. He backed up this state
ment with colored slides Of areas,
which, In his opinion, the southern
republics should start preserving for
future generations, either because
Of their outstanding scenic values
or because of their archaeological
and historical worth.
The other speaker at the banquet,
Newton B. Drury, secretary Of the
Save-the-Redwoods League, warned
the association of conditions in park
administration throughout the
country which threaten the main
tenance of the country's great
primeval parks in the condition
originally intended for them.
Sees Danger rs Subtle.
There are trends of thought and
attitudes Of mind that need con-
stantly to be resisted, he said, add
Ing that these are far more subtle
dangers that the National Parks
Association has been accustomed to
fight in the past-commercial en-
croachment and use of parks for
local and selfish interests.
Mr.. Drury, after outlining what
California, where he serves as an
executive Of the State Park Com
mission, has done in the preserva-
ton of the native landscape, listed
the subtle dangers, to which he
referred as follows:
l. Bureaucracy-"the making of
administrative turmoil an end in
itself instead of q means"
2. Showmanship-"reveling in at
tention and plaudits. discriminating
and otherwise; intent on building
up an increasing public by being
all things to all men; not contend
with q simple, clean-cut task well
done"
8. Technical virtuosity -" armed
with ample funds. great groups of
wen-trained, earnest men-road
builders, fire preventionists, land
ecapers, dam constructors, soil ero-
sionists-all secure in the mastery
OF their technique and eager to dis
play 1t. mobilize upon the unsuspect-
ing landscape. Used in moderation,
and where fitting, with their efforts
co-ordinated, they are invaluable"
Use Also Destructive.
Democracy complex-"the utilizing
Of unequaled scenic beauty for
modes Of public enjoyment which
tend to destroy this beauty in the
name Of providing for all types Of