I 9 o8 EDITORIAL 



through the sales of irrigated land. The tir.-t pr> like d 



Such being the case, why should not -lide; the 1 is 



this revolving fund be increased to any climbing back t" the top of th.- hill 



necessary amount, thus enabling the and dragging the sled, 'ihe un- 



Government to irrigate not only a few restricted private ownership ha.-, let 



great areas but a multitude of small us hope, reached its culinii; iiul 



ones? Xo question is raised over the begun its decline. Special ] 



protection accorded the home owner still be made for the return 



on lands irrigated by the Government, "good old time.-" ; but if the i 



\Vhv have we not here then a complete wise, the.-e pleas will be made in vain. 

 solution of the home owner's problem? 



The editorial in question praises the cf Korea, the 



Xational Forest principle but con- Korea to be Kingdom, is waking up 



demns its operation. The administra- Protected to the necessity of pro- 

 tion, it claims, is defective; red tape tecting its remaining 



abounds; subordinates are arbitrary, forests and replanting denuded tr 



etc. The author, however, cannot ex- on important watersheds. Japan 



pect blanket charges to be met. Let furnishing the inspiration and part of 



him specify, furnishing names, dates, the money which will produce the 



and places. change from the old order of thing - 



If the Xational Forests are to be to the new. A school for training 



successfully administered, the local Korean foresters has already been put 



viewpoint must, of course, be under- in operation. 



>tood. The same principle applies to The two governments drew up a 



the successful national administration co-operative agreement last spring and 



of the public range. Why may not outlined a plan for the wise use of the 



provision be made for the establish- forests in the Yalu and Tumen val- 



ment of some State advisory board or leys and as a result a national forest 



commission, with which the respon- policy for Korea has been develop 



sible forest officers in each state might The new Korean forest laws are sim- 



keep in touch? iliar to those of Japan, according I 



The editorial voices the familiar United States Consul-General Thomas 



view that public lands should, with Sammons, of Seoul. 

 rare exceptions, be converted as Although Korean forests have been 



promptly as may be in private pro- exploited and neglected, and the coun- 



perty. The time has come when the try has suffered from drought, tl* 



Xation should think twice before ac- and erosion, the denudation is 



cepting this dictum. The fact that it serious than in neighboring pr>vi- 



has acted upon it in the past is no of China. One of the first m 



proof that it should continue to act to be taken up will be the pre-ervati' n 



upon it. The pell-mell haste with of such wooded tracts a? yet remain, 



which we have rushed to convert our In order to do this, the .government ha- 



public domain into railway empires, taken all forest-; under 



and otherwise to enrich vast corpora- whether they are publicly or priv: 



tinns at the expense both of the public ly owned. The owners will no- 



as such and of the man to whom p'rivcd of their property without o 



home-owning has now become impos- pensatin. but the -nnient wil 



-ihle. should warn us against future regulate the cntti- : mber. and in 



progress in this direction. It is in- rtain cases may prohibit all cutting 



M motive to contrast the ease with on tracts whicl :nain tim- 



which public lands have been made bcred. "to prevent Jit-, 



private with the enormous difficulty. 1: ircd 



now illustrated by the Appalachian the scenic attract-' of pi. 



campaign, incurred in the endeavor public rrsort." owi timber- 



to convert private lands into public, land and all leaseholders are reqir 



