TREE PLANTED BY PRESIDENT LI YUAN-HUNG OF CHINA 



A group of high Chinese officials taken just after the ceremonial observance of Arbor Day at Peking, China, on April 5th. President Li Yuan-hung is seen 

 in the centre of the picture, behind and slightly to the right of the tree he has just planted. The stone tablet bears the inscription in Chinese "Planted by 

 the hands of President Li." The Premier, General Juan Chi-rui, is seen in uniform at the extreme right. Between him and the President are Mr. Jao Chang- 

 shang. Chief of the Department of Agriculture and F'orestry (on the left), and Mr. Ngan Han, well-known to American foresters and to whose influence the 

 adoption of a national Arbor Day in China was largely due. Behind the tree at the left is Dr. Chen Chin-tao, Minister of Finance. 



FORESTRY PROGRESSING IN CHINA 



FORESTRY propaganda in China is making steady 

 progress and producing results increasingly im- 

 portant. Indications of the growth of interest in 

 reforestration are manifested throughout the nation and 

 from various sources American Forestry is in receipt of 

 information, proving that this long neglected subject is 

 now receiving the attention it deserves. In official circles 

 and elsewhere the republic is awakening to the necessity 

 of making up for the laxity that has caused China to be 

 looked upon as the horrible example of indifiference to 

 the importance of forest development and conservation. 



Not the least significant incident along this line was 

 the personal participation of President Li Yuan-hung in 

 the Arbor Day exercises in the Temple of Heaven at 

 Peking, April 5. Information concerning this celebra- 

 tion comes in a letter from Mr. W. F. Sherfesee, an 

 American, who is now Adviser in Forestry to the Chi- 

 nese Government. Mr. Sherfesee writes that this was 

 the first time a ruler of China had taken part in exercises 

 of this nature and adds that it was unquestionably the 

 President's intention thus to invite national attention 

 to the importance of forestry in the republic. The day 

 was observed as a national holiday, and similar exer- 

 cises took place in all of the provincial capitals and in 

 most of the cities of lesser importance. 



" President Li is an ardent friend of forestry," adds 

 Mr. Sherfesee, " as indeed he is of whatever promises to 

 promote the economic and social welfare of the people, 

 and never misses an opportunity to express his interest 



in, and to exert his influence in favor of, the work. Espe- 

 cially at this time of crisis in international affairs, when 

 the president is overwhelmed with pressingly important 

 matters of all kinds, it was no slight sacrifice on his part 

 to devote the time and efifort to making the occasion one 

 of national prominence ; and to him is due the gratitude of 

 all friends of Chinese forest conservation." 



Clippings from Chinese papers, enclosed with Mr. 

 Sherfesee's letter, describe the Arbor Day ceremonies in 

 detail and make it clear that the event was regarded as 

 of great national importance. The Peking Gazette speaks 

 of the celebration as one that should go down in history 

 as marking another milestone in the progress of the first 

 republic in the Far East. " Until yesterday," says this 

 paper, " the prayers offered by the rulers of China, im- 

 perial and republican, had been in the form of words 

 and burnt offerings. Yesterday it took the form of a 

 practical demonstration. The occasion records in actual 

 deed the fact that China no longer dreams of prosperity 

 pouring down from heaven without the people lifting a 

 finger, but believes that prosperity must come with work 

 actual work of the hand. The most remarkable fact is 

 that it was the President, the chief executive and repre- 

 sentative of the country, who made this demonstration. 

 Nor was it a perfunctory act that was gone through to 

 show the people that their ruler was not idle. The example 

 set by the president was immediately followed, eagerly 

 and sincerely followed, by hundreds of others who were 

 privileged to take part in the ceremony. The rush for 



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