THE DIPLOMATIC FOREST IL^NGER 



435 



supersede the somewhat Ijrutal anil Iihnd policy of laisscc 

 fa'ire — tlie old idea that by iiermittint;- the strongest, most 

 able, and also the most unscrupulous and cuiuiing to have 

 their own way, the best results would be obtained. 



Since this new doctrine did not contemplate depriving 

 the public of the resources of these forest reservations, 

 but rather strove to make them available, the public soon 

 learned that under the rules and regulations worked out 

 by the government, they could secure timber, graze their 

 stock, prospect for and develop mines, and harness the 

 national water powers, while at the same time the great 

 farming interests observed that fire protection and the 

 restoration of the forest cover on the watersheds control- 

 ling their supply of water for irrigation, was for the first 

 time becoming efficient. 



The crest of the opposition was reached in 1907, but 

 two years after the transfer of the National Forests to the 

 Department of Agriculture — and was due largely to the 

 fear and wrath occasioned amongst the advocates of the 

 old school by the rapid extension of National Forest areas 

 in the two years preceding. In this year six states, Colo- 

 rado leading, secured congressional action which put an 

 end to the creation of further National Forests, except by 

 specific authority of congress in the future. 



For several years thereafter, the area of National 

 Forests in these six sta,tes either remained stationary or 

 diminished by elimination of areas unsuited to the pur- 

 poses of the forests. Meanwhile, the real [lurposes be- 

 hind the forest policies became more and more clearly 

 comprehended by western people, and the great benefits 



of intelligent and efficient administration spoke more for- 

 cibly than arguments. 



In 1916 bills began to appear in congress authorizing 

 the President to make additions to existing National For- 

 ests. For the most i^art these dealt with small areas, and 

 were significant only as indicating the tremendous 

 revolution in public attitude which has taken place 

 in this decade toward the ideas embodied in the 

 National Forest policy. 



But it remained for Colorado to give exijression to 

 this current of opinion in a way that no one can mistake. 

 In spite of opposition of a particularly virulent and vin- 

 dictive character, the people of the agricultural districts, 

 dependent u]»)n the watersheds for their very existence, 

 demanded and secured authority from congress for the 

 addition of over half a million acres of public land 

 to the Colorado and Pike National Forests. And in 

 this they had the support of mining associations, 

 county commissioners and every commercial interest in 

 the district affected. 



This country will never tolerate the substitution of an 

 autocratic bureaucracy for the liberty of thought and 

 action to which we are accustomed — but we are fast learn- 

 ing that our rights and our prosperity are best secured 

 through an efficient public administration by trained ex- 

 perts, whose duty it is to carry out policies formulated to 

 secure the greatest good to the greatest number. This 

 new Service is responsive to popular demand, but is able 

 to distinguish between the selfish desires of the few and 

 the permanent benefits for the many. Its true spirit is 

 cooperation — and cooperation will win. 



THE DIPLOMATIC 



BY W. G. 



THE work of a Forest Ranger or Guard during the 

 fire season is, of course, taken up very largely 

 in preventing fires. Since the greatest danger 

 is from campers, hunters, and fishermen, who through 

 carelessness or ignorance throw down lighted matches, 

 cigarettes, etc., or build camp fires where they should 

 not or go away leaving them burning, it is essential that 

 they be warned, and it is equally important that they be 

 warned in such a way that they will not take offence. 

 I have known campers who have been left in a very 

 antagonistic frame of mind by being told in a tactless 

 way to be sure and not start a fire, and how not to start 

 one, the law for such offence, etc., and consequently did 

 not care much if one did start, and certainly would not 

 have helped fight one unless forced into service by recit- 

 ing the law to them, which is worse than not having them 

 at all. 



It is very easy to get the cooperation of most of the 

 people who come into the woods for recreation ( the 

 natives of the woods usually are as anxious as the Forest 

 officers to prevent fires) by several little ways without 

 even letting them know that you are trying to do so, for 

 instance: a Ranger or Guard sees a fisherman; he goes 

 down towards him, and when he sees that he is seen, he 



FOREST RANGER 



MORISON 



incidentally tells the fisherman thereby who he is, and 

 probably has him thinking unconsciously of fire al- 

 ready. Having done this, he goes up and says, "Hello, 

 had much luck?" and then engages in a conversation as 

 to the pros and cons of fishing (no better way to please 

 a man than by talking about the thing he is interested 

 in at that particular moment). During the conversation 

 he glances around as if looking for smoke (remember 

 the idea is to get the fisherman's mind centred on 

 smoke, and smoke means fire). After a while he says, 

 "Well, I guess I will have to be getting on, pretty bad 

 time for fire." The fisherman then probably says some- 

 thing such as "Had many this year ?" or "Has there been 

 much damage done around here ?" This gives the For- 

 est officer the opening he is looking for, and he says, 

 "No, not so far. Have been mighty lucky in having 

 "old timers' around who realize the damage done by 

 fires and are careful. You can spot them every time. 

 Xnw, I can see you are far from a green one in the 

 woods from the way you handle your rod and line," or 

 anything like that to flatter him. If he is an "old 

 timer" he will admire your po\\ers of observation ; if 

 lu- is not, he will be tickled to death to think that a 

 J\ anger, who is sujjposed to be the best of woodsmen, 



