220 



CONSERVATION 



in the case of the forests. It is known, 

 for example, that all Europe, as a unit, 

 is an importer and not an exporter of 

 timber, and that she is consequently 

 making steady inroads upon the world's 

 forest surplus ; but it is not known what 

 the world surplus of forest it. In other 

 words, the nations face a future timber 

 shortage, but do not know how soon 

 it will come, and are therefore in the 

 dark as to the action which is called for 

 now to husband the present supply and 

 provide for its renewal. The problem 

 is fundamentally one of how much. Yet 

 there are a number of countries of 

 which the timber supplies and forest 

 areas are practically unknown. In Con- 

 ada, for example, the most widely dif- 

 fering estimates have been made of the 

 forest resources ; of the real character 

 and extent of the Central and South 

 American forests only fragmentary in- 

 formation exists ; we do not accurately 

 know at what rate the cut-over forests 

 in the wood-exporting countries are re- 

 stocking, while the various censuses 

 which have been taken of our own re- 

 maining virgin forests do not agree. 

 These facts only partially indicate our 

 ignorance of the world situation in re- 

 gard to forests products. 



But not only are we ignorant as to 

 the extent and value of existing forests 

 and of their ability to bear the drains 

 that are made upon them. We are 

 handicapped in our calculations regard- 

 ing the forests of foreign countries by 

 the want of standardized statistical 

 methods and interchangeable denomina- 

 tions. Thus, not only do we know very 

 little of what we need to know of this 

 great resource, but we are needlessly 

 hampered in making use of what is 

 known. 



What is true of the forests is largely 

 true of the other resources. 



2. Recommendations. 



Once more to quote the Secretary of 

 State : "It would be appropriate also 

 for the conference to consider the gen- 

 eral phases of the correlated problems 

 of checking and, when possible, repair- 

 ing the injuries caused by the waste and 



destruction of natural resources and 

 utilities, and make recommendations in 

 the interest of their conservation, de- 

 velopment, and replenishment." 



A number of the older countries are 

 rich in experience by which newer 

 countries may well profit. Of all na- 

 tions, Japan alone entered the modern 

 industrial age with her forests im- 

 proved, and not depleted, by centuries 

 of use. The same nation has taken an 

 advanced stand on the subject of land 

 classification. In 1898 she appropriated 

 some $13,000,000 for the classification 

 of the land in the government forests 

 alone. China, the "horrible example" 

 among the nations in misuse of forest 

 resources, has her lesson of warning to 

 offer, to which she herself has now 

 grown sensitive. Western Europe has 

 many examples to show of both wise 

 and wasteful development of resources. 

 British India possesses an effective 

 modern forest organization which holds 

 many suggestions for our own country. 

 Great Britain is at the moment con- 

 sidering the largest single afforestation 

 project ever attempted, and her condi- 

 tions of soil and climate are such that 

 the experience of her European neigh- 

 bors is a fair standard by which to pre- 

 dict the results which she may hope to 

 secure. 



With the lands, waters, and minerals 

 the story is the same. Australia and 

 New Zealand may have important les- 

 sons for us in their experience with 

 their systems of land tenure. Most of 

 Europe can teach us much in. the in- 

 tensive culture of soils. Switzerland, 

 which has just amended her consti- 

 tution so as to give the Federation 

 supervision of the development of water 

 power, occupies in respect to water re- 

 sources a position in many ways not un- 

 like our own. Few countries are so 

 wasteful of the minerals in mining as 

 is the United States, while in the safe- 

 guards which surround human life and 

 health in the mines, in the factories, 

 and in every day life, such nations as 

 Germany can point to results which we 

 have not begun to approach. 



