A.MI'.RICAN FORESTRY 



1409 



FOREST FIRES AND "ROADS OF REMEMBRANCE" 





Old World tlie advisability of forest con- 

 servation." The value of a forest policy 

 to France is pointed out in the Evaiislun, 

 III.. Nctvs-Indcx. which says: "If there 

 had been the same ruthless destruction of 

 trees there as there has been here, there 

 would have been little wooded territory 

 left for the emergency in which the future 

 of the nation lay in the balance." The 

 Ohio State Journal calls attention to the 

 year by year stand of the Association for 

 tree planting and adds : "War brought an 

 unusual demand for luinber and great areas 

 were stripped to supply pressing needs. 

 If we will not aid in growing trees we 

 should not complain if growing scarci- 

 ty makes us pay high prices for lum- 

 ber." Forest fires cotne in for a great 

 deal of attention on the part of the edi- 

 tors. "In times of peace, the loss of fifty 

 millions in property at a single time 

 would stir the world," says the Cin- 

 cinnati Times-Star, "but we have be- 

 come so accustotned to colossal figures, 

 that today, we take but passing notice 

 of them. Future generations, how- 

 ever, will take notice when lumber be- 

 comes an article more scarce and more 

 e.xpensive even than it is today." In 

 the Democrat and Chronicle of Roches- 

 ter, the editor further extends the in- 

 vitation of the American Forestry 

 Association for expressions of opin- 

 ion on a national forest policy and in 

 pointing to forest fire losses, adds : 

 "This is a matter of the first import- 

 ance. There is enough information 

 now in the hands of the government 

 and other forestry agencies to cut 

 down fire losses materially." The 

 Cleveland Press calls the situation "an 

 appalling indictment of American care- 

 lessness. With the passing of our for 

 ests we will lose a great national in- 

 dustry that yearly employs 830,000 peo- l_ 

 pie and supplies $1,500,000,000 worth 

 of products." The Toronto Globe sug- 

 gests that returning soldiers be put to work 

 in fire patrols. The Daily Northwestern of 

 Oshkosh, Wisconsin, calls attention to graz- 

 ing sheep and their ability to diminish the 

 fire hazard. The Houston Post points to 

 fire losses and says: "It was a stern re- 

 minder that provision must be made for 

 better fire protection. The nation will 

 repent its folly in days to come, in ex- 

 orbitant lumber prices." The Bulletin of 

 Maysville, Kentucky, says : "We are de- 

 stroying our forests much faster than we 

 are planting new ones and renewing old 

 ones. In the case of preventing forest 

 fires, the old adage that an ounce of pre- 

 vention is worth a pound of cure is par- 

 ticularly applicable, for the cure is a mat- 



ter of decades." In the opinion of the 

 editor of the Akron, Ohio, Press, "forest 

 fires can be cut in two if human careless- 

 ness is eliminated." The Post of Cincinnati, 

 says that in the passing of our forests the 

 "lumber supply will be in the hands of 

 the timber interests of Canada," and "it 

 does not require many fires, such as now are 

 raging in the northwest, to counteract all 

 efforts at conservation." 



.As to roadside planting the Chicago Eve- 

 ning Post says: "Froni every side is heard 

 praise for the American Forestry Asso- 



REAL SERVICE 



Flushing Daily Times. 



The announcement by A. E. Davenport, 

 chief of the construction department of the 

 Texas Oil Company, that the fine old elm 

 tree on the Whitestone avenue side of the 

 property of the company has just acquired 

 would not be destroyed, will be appreciated 

 by every resident of Flushing. 



That the tree would have come down under 

 ordinary circumstances cannot be doubted. 

 The Daily Times, in calling attention to the 

 matter the day the announcement was made 

 that this company had purchased the property 

 and was planning the construction of a big 

 service station, at once crystallized sentiment 

 in favor of saving it. 



The value of the elm as a specimen of its 

 kind is demonstrated by the active interest in 

 its behalf by the American Forestry Associa- 

 tion. Although located in Washington and 

 busily concerned with the larger questions of 

 conserving the forests of the country, Mr. 

 Ridsdale did not hesitate to come to the aid 

 of this single tree. 



The value of the service frequently rendered 

 by newspapers to the community in which they 

 are located and of the worth of an organiza- 

 tion like the American Forestry Association 

 are so clearly demonstrated in this instance 

 that further comment would be superfluous. 



ciation for the good service it is doing in 

 linking the cause of roads and forestation. 

 The trees are intended to be memorials 

 for our soldiers who died in France and 

 to their comrades who have come home 

 bearing victory. Roads thus shaded and 

 beautiful are called "Roads of Remem- 

 brance." In the Tribune of Salt Lake City 

 we find that "this day, fraught as it is with 

 great significance to the people of Utah, 

 seem to be a propitious time to direct 

 attention to the work of the American 

 Forestry Association in its efforts to foster 

 the 'Roads of Remembrance' idea. Roads 

 and the observance of this pioneer anni- 

 versary go well together. In 1847 roads 

 were the crying need of those who traversed 

 the great plains and endured untold hard- 



ships to bring civilization to these valleys." 

 Speaking of the Motor Transport Corps 

 cross-country demonstration, the Tribune 

 continues : "The American Forestry Asso- 

 ciation is actively interested in the dem- 

 onstration, its immediate aim being tr 

 promote the beautification of public high 

 ways by inducing states, counties, and rural 

 communities to line their thoroughfares 

 with trees." The Journal of Minneapolis 

 points to the scenic value of tree planting 

 and says : "The American Forestry Asso- 

 ciation has taken up the idea of tree 

 planting along public highways. Aside 

 from the sentiment expressed and the 

 loyalty that will naturally be stimu- 

 lated by this action, the increase of 

 trees and shaded highways will add 

 millions to the scenic value of the 

 country and much more in the ma- 

 terial value of the trees theinselves. It 

 would, indeed, be a blessing to this 

 land if these 'Roads of Remembrance' 

 should cause us to plant in America a 

 tree for every tree destroyed in the 

 war." 



"It is to be hoped." says the Lincoln 

 Star, "that the American people wi 

 take kindly to this plan of the .-Ameri- 

 can Forestry Association, not only as 

 a matter of sentiment but also as a 

 matter of common sense." The editor 

 of the Cincinnati Enquirer views road 

 side tree planting in this way : "Nor 

 have we ever been able to think of a 

 more lovely memorial of human life 

 nor a more highly appreciated bene- 

 faction than such a collonade of trees." 

 In The State of Columbia, South Caro- 

 lina, we find the editor goes into dis- 

 cussion with the New York Times as 

 to the value of various trees for 

 memorial highways. The State con- 

 cludes a well-shaded road would tend 

 to allay the speed mania for "no one 

 wishes to dart too swiftly through an 

 avenue of beauty." The Times Recorder 

 of Americus, Georgia, points to the hearty 

 approval that has been given the Asso- 

 ciation's plan. 



The limes-Picayune of New Orleans 

 points to the campaign of the American 

 Forestry Association to restore our forests 

 and adds : "We realize, even more than 

 the French, the necessity of forests, and 

 it is but natural that we should seek to 

 have the two improvements go hand in hand 

 — reforestation and road construction — and 

 that the idea of planting trees along side 

 the roads should be strongly advocated." 

 1 he Republican-Xeii's of Hamilton, Ohio, 

 asks "what better suggestion than that of 

 so-called 'Roads of Remembrance' for 

 memorials?" 



