604 CONFERENCE ON NATURAL BEAUTY 



initiate projects to substitute adequate housing for existing slums. 

 If the extreme blight of slums is to be conquered some practicable 

 method of massive private family rehabilitation program in coopera- 

 tion with government must be developed to supplement or replace 

 the necessarily limited government efforts. 



Throughout the Nation there are a multitude of volunteer citi- 

 zen groups looking for and prepared to respond to opportunities 

 for civic improvement projects small and large that are within 

 their capabilities or offer an adequate challenge. The inspiration 

 that this conference can provide, followed by regional, State and 

 local conferences, should anticipate using these groups to accom- 

 plish much of the restoration of natural beauty that is local in 

 nature. We include real estate boards as among the most inter- 

 ested. Government can supply the leadership. It must provide basic 

 law where needed. But citizen groups should be challenged to be 

 the activators of any program to meet the objectives without imposing 

 monolithic Federal controls. 



FRANK D. COSGROVE. It appears to me that there is a close and 

 natural connection between the proposed beautification program 

 and the recently launched See the U.S.A. campaign. It is quite 

 clear that steps taken as the result of the recommendations of the 

 White House Conference on Natural Beauty can be sustained ulti- 

 mately only by a greater appreciation on the part of the general 

 public of the scenic attractions of this country and the need to 

 preserve them. 



The United States is definitely handicapped in its efforts to get 

 more people to appreciate the natural beauty of the land in which 

 they live by the lack of inexpensive overnight accommodations at 

 points of interest. Vice President Humphrey quoted some shock- 

 ing statistics recently when he pointed out that more than half of 

 our people have never been more than 200 miles away from home. 



The efforts of other countries, especially in Europe, to provide 

 inexpensive overnight hostels have had a salutory effect in encour- 

 aging internal travel and is drawing increasing numbers of young 

 Americans who normally travel on tight budgets. In Japan, the 

 contract specifications for building roads and highways include the 

 provisions that construction shacks along the way be constructed in 

 such a manner that they can be used as youth hostels after the 

 builders have left. 



I would therefore suggest that the recommendations submitted 



