Evening star., 1944-05-23
This and That
By Charles +. Tracewell.
"mrsTrrrN,rvrr c1p EVENT.,

i
Dear Sir:
During the past month I have had
occasion to drive through Rock Greek
Park several times; the route taken
was from Pierce Mill, following the
creek by the spring with its copious
now Of cool and pure drinking water, to
the East-West highway, where I turn
and retrace the route in order to OBJ
serve and listen to the songs of the
great variety OF birds that have their
homes and habitat In the woods of this
famous park
Upon several occasions, and espe-
cially on Saturdays, have encountered
gangs OF boys ranging in ages from
10 to 16 years, and in numbers Of 8 or
10, each carrying q .22-caliber rifle,
looking up into the tree branches for
birds as targets and tests for skill at
Workmanship.
"One boy had beautiful cardinal
dangling from his belt, another q Jay
carried by its legs In his hands grin
ming and proud Of his prowress and
skill.
Il demonstrated with the young nim-
rods for their vandalism, as I can
think Of no other word that adequately
describes the acts, and I was met with
curses and threats of a similar fate If
l did not attend to my own business.
During the summer and spring there
Is no telling of the number of our
beautiful feathered friends DESTROYED by
these young marauders. Would it be
possible for you to take UP with the
Park and Planning Commission, offering
the suggestion that a closer vigil and
more frequent inspection of the park
roads and paths be made by the officers
OF the park, especially on holidays?
upon one occasion the boys had two
dogs with them for the purpose of rout-
ing and chasing both birds and SOUR.
rels SO as to offer targets for their guns.
1t Is certainly against the law for any
person to carry firearms of any kind in
our parks, or to discharge them within
the District
mo doubt the baby ducks that at
tract so many residents and visitors to
the parks will come in for their ratio
OF destruction by these vandals, as they
are now being Matched in nests along
the banks.
You have done so much to add to
the beauty and attractiveness of our
wonderful parks through your inter-
esting and instructive editorials in your
column in The Star, that a suggestion
from you will accomplish the desired
result, am sure.
with best wishes always, am
Yours sincerely, w. M. M"
A better word than vandalism to de-
scribe such acts Is sabotage"
While the fathers and brothers of
these misguided boys are giving their
lives to keep the Germans and Japs from
coming over and destroying our natural
resources, these boys are doing thought
lessly the very things our enemies would
do if they could
Those who destroy our natura! re-
sources are doing exactly what our
enemies would wish them to do, and
thus are working against their own
fathers and brothers.
fortunately there are only a few bows
who indulge in such sabotage
Most OF our boys have learned in their
schools and homes something of the
beauty and wonder of bird life. and how
tne SongSterS each year consume mil
hons OF inimlcal insects, and thus tend
TO keep the Victory gardens free of
them
There are plenty of laws and regu-
lations to prevent such sabotage on
the home front; the trouble comes
when they are not enforced Il was
Napoleon who said, II would rather live
wild In the woods, than in a community
without law" and he might have added
than in community where the laws
are not enforced"
One Of the reasons why they are
not enforced is that many persons do
not wish to insist on their enforcement,
but want some one else to do the in
sisting for them
. Surely there is something all wrong
on the home front, when bands armed
with firearms can roam without him
drance in the parks, endangering not
only our natural resources, but the
lives Of picnickers and others who are
| obeying the laws.