244 The Federal Responsibility for Leadership 



of the people at the local level, I don't think there is any particular 

 magic in nonfederal government as such; all virtue doesn't reside there. 

 It is more important to use the vitality of our citizens than to joust 

 with the theologies of different levels of government. In this regard, 

 we have learned much in the last twenty-five years about organizing 

 citizens' energies at the local level. Soil conservation districts, the 

 TVA, and other devices have shown some of the possibilities. With 

 better organization at the federal level, the role of private citizens and 

 private industry at the local level will be strengthened. Today it is 

 being dissipated in a myriad of organizations and efforts, vainly at- 

 tempting to cope with the frustrations imposed by a multiplicity of 

 federal and state agencies. The energies of the people are being wasted 

 in this area because of the irrationality of governmental organization 

 in the resources area. Proper federal organization, and that alone, can 

 make clearer the role of the states, of the local organizations of citizens, 

 and of private industry. We have the knowledge and experience in 

 other areas of public policy. It is time to apply the lessons we have 

 learned in the resources area. 



The lesson of our whole history of development as a nation is that 

 state, local, and private initiative cannot substitute for that part of 

 leadership which must come from the federal level. Interstate com- 

 pacts and individual state efforts have unique and invaluable contri- 

 butions to make, but to argue that these are the road to a national 

 resources program of meaningful content to all our citizens is like 

 arguing that our people could have developed their part of the con- 

 tinent under the Articles of Confederation just as well as they did 

 under the Constitution. Poor organization at the national level frus- 

 trates organizational co-operation by all levels of government and by 

 private enterprise. The answer is to strive for improved organization 

 at the national level in order to strengthen citizen participation below 

 and not to be led into thinking that we can go ahead as we need to 

 in resources development without adequate federal organization and 

 leadership. 



The responsibility for leadership is basically that of the federal gov- 

 ernment. If it sets its house in order, it will be possible to perceive for 

 the first time how state, local, and private efforts can join in a true 

 partnership for resources conservation and development involving all 



