30 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



provide in some manner adequate protective features. 



The annual loss of fire has been com])uted. The annual 

 loss from disease is 

 strikingly indi- 

 cated. Both can be 

 prevented in all ru- 

 ral recreation are.is 

 by the installation 

 of the minimum 

 fire and sanitary 

 preventative meas- 

 ures. These are 

 simple. They are, 

 properly placed 

 simple open fire- 

 places ; well con- 

 structed properly 

 located snnitarics, 

 and fool - proof, 

 pure water suii- 

 plies. 



All people who 

 directly or indirect- 

 ly use the outdoors 

 should insist that 

 public agencies charged with the care of rural recreation 

 areas see that these standards are met. These develop- 



A DK.STKOV1NG FIRK 



The cost of one such fire in loss and funds spent in fighting it would build many pre- 

 ventative improvements in many camps. One such camp might eliminate such a fire. 



ments will not make finished camps for complete camp- 

 ing service, but the public using such camps will be in- 

 sured against fire 

 loss and that great- 

 er loss d e a t h s 

 from insanitary 

 conditions 



Finally, these 

 sinster conditions 

 set forth are not 

 visionary. They 

 exist. A brief sur- 

 vey of the situa- 

 tion will convince 

 the most skeptical 

 that there is need 

 of action. Action, 

 and funds to back 

 it, we must have if 

 the Nation is to go 

 into the out-of- 

 doors secure from 

 fire loss by camp- 

 fires and life loss 

 from inijjure water supply. Lets have decent forest camps 

 for .\niericans ! (Photographs by U. S. Forest Service.) 



THE RUSSO-AMERICAN OAK 



T N the "Hall of *Fame" is the Russo-American Oak 

 planted in the White House grounds April 6, 1904, by 

 President Roosevelt. The relations between this country 

 and Russia have changed somewhat from the time when 

 acorns from the tree at the tomb of George Washington 

 were jilanted in ithe grounds of one of the palaces of "His 

 Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of All the Russias." The 

 tree in the White House grounds is still standing, and as 

 far as known the trees in the j)alace grounds may be but 

 the government of "the emperor of all the Russias" has 

 changed to a great extent. ^luch history has been written 

 since Charles Sumner, senator from Massachusetts, sent 

 the acorns from the tree at Mt. Vernon to the Czar of 

 Russia. These trees grew and acorns from them were in 

 turn sent back to America and on April 6, 1904 Presi- 

 dent Roosevelt, Secretary Wilson and Secretary Hitch- 

 cock planted this Russo-American oak on the lawn east 

 of the west terrace of the White House. Little did they 

 know that on another April 6, the L'nited States of 

 America would declare war on Imjierial Germany, a war 

 in which Russia would l)e involved and as a result of 

 which "the emperor of all the Russias" would be de- 

 throned and pass into an exile and death around which 

 much mystery has been thrown. 



In the files of the army we fin<l the following notation 

 made by E. A. Hitchcock. 



"While ambassador at the court of St. Petersburg I 

 made inquiry with respect to the disposition of some 

 acorns that the Hon. Charles Sumner, while United 



States Senator from Massachusetts, is said to have sent 

 to His Imperial Majesty the Czar, the acorns having 

 been taken from a massive oak shading the original tomb 

 of Washington at Mt. Vernon. 



"These acorns were planted on what is known as 'Czar- 

 ina Island', which is included in the superb surroundings 

 of one of the palaces of His Imperial Majesty near Pe- 

 terhof, and there I found a beautiful oak with a tablet 

 at its foot bearing a Russian inscription, the translation 

 of which is as follows : 



" 'The acorn planted here was taken from an oak which 

 shades the tomb of the celebrated and never-to-be-forgot- 

 ten Washington ; is presented to His Imperial Majesty, 

 the Emperor of all the Russias, as a sign of the greatest 

 respect By an .American.' 



"I was fortunate at the time of my visit, which was 

 in the fall of 1898, in finding a number of acorns on the 

 ground that had been dropped from this historic tree, 

 (jathering a handful, I sent them home, and secured from 

 the seed thus planted a few oak saplings, one of which 

 is here and now planted, with the kind permission of 

 President Roosevelt, in the grounds of the White House, 

 while another is to be planted in a few days nearby its 

 grandparent, which is still in existence at Mount Vernon, 

 both of which young trees, I hope, will reach such age 

 and strength as will, for years to come, typify the con- 

 tinued friendship of the Governments and people, re- 

 spectively of the United States and Russia, each for the 

 other." 



