350 JOURNAL OF FORESTRV 



Forests was briefly set forth, and note was made of ]\Ir. Pack's espousal 

 of the cause and condemnation of Dr. Drinker's attitude. This hos- 

 tility to the principle of maintaining the National Forests Dr. Drinker 

 expressed publicly, as President of the American Forestry Association, 

 at the University of Illinois, on January 18, 1915, in which he said, "It 

 is dangerous for a man untrained in engineering to venture opinions 

 on questions like conservation of coal in Alaska and the development 

 of waterpowers . . . questions that require the best judgment and 

 experience of trained engineers." Dr. Drinker's attitude on National 

 Forests arose from Iris correspondence with waterpower engineers in 

 Colorado who were hostile to the National Forests. He reiterated these 

 public utterances on October 30, 1915, at the Panama Pacific Exhibition 

 at San Francisco, saying, "We (the American Forestry Association) 

 are not immune from factional dissentions when such controversial 

 matters as States rights. National control, waterpower, and the develop- 

 ment of Alaska align our people into different camps who would wish 

 to commit the Association unreservedly to their factional views and 

 are far from satisfied with neutrality." On June 9, 1916, Dr. Drinker 

 speaking before the Berks County Conservation Association at Read- 

 ing again expressed his disapproval of the retention of the National 

 Forests by the Government in Western States. 



In the July issue of American Forestry Mr. Pack, discussing Dr. 

 Drinker's defense of a resolution on Public Lands passed by his resolu- 

 tions committee at the Sixth Conservation Congress, stated, "Two 

 wrongs do not make a right. That it was w^ell to plainly express our 

 faith in the national conservation policy at this time is shown by the 

 large number of letters and messages of approval which I have received 

 from all parts of the country." Mr. Pack's original statement, on page 

 353 of the June, 1911, issue was written by me and published over his 

 signature. 



But on July 5, 1916, Mr. Pack wrote, "I don't think there is anything 

 to be gained by keeping up the fight over Dr. Drinker. He is in some 

 ways a very useful member of the American Forestr}^ Association." 



Dr. Drinker's position in opposition to any active stand on legislative 

 questions has been consistently that the Association is a scientific and 

 educational body not engaged in political activities. He has been elected 

 a life director of the Association. 



Ernest A. Sterling, formerly a member of the U. S. Forest Service, 

 during his earlier years as a Director, rendered great service to 



