THE CONSERVATION OF WORLD 



RESOURCES 



To Be Discussed at The Hague by Representatives of the Leading 



Nations Next September The Significance of Such a Conference, 

 the Need for It, and Some of the Subjects with which It Will 

 Probably Deal 



By TREAD WELL CLEVELAND, Jr. 



THE North American Conference Roosevelt had struck a new note. His 

 on the Conservation of Natural few words, carefully weighed and de- 

 Resources, which held its ses- liberately spoken, were pregnant with a 

 sions in Washington, February 18 to political philosophy to which the nations 

 22, was remarkable principally for two are but now awakening, the philosophy 

 results the powerful stimulus which it that, broadly speaking, the nations must 

 gave to the conservation movement in rise or fall together, and that therefore 

 the North American continent, and the the highest aim of diplomacy is to se- 

 significant and unexpected expansion of cure not the conquest of rival powers, 

 the movement to worldwide propor- but the uplifting and development of 

 tions. The delegates to the conference neighbors bound together by common 

 from Canada and Mexico entered heart- aims. 



ily into the spirit of international co- "The ablest man," said the President, 

 operation, which was the direct object "will do best where his neighbors also 

 of the conference. They pledged the do well. It is just so with nations, 

 aid of their respective countries, con- * * * In international relations the 

 curring in the belief that all of the coun- great feature of the growth of the last 

 tries should profit by the results ob- century has been the gradual recogni- 

 tained by any one of them, and that cer- tion of the fact that instead of its being 

 tain problems could be most satisfactor- normally the interest of one nation to 

 ily solved by united action. On the sec- see another depressed, it is normally 

 ond day of the conference, the delegates the interest of each nation to see the 

 of all three countries unanimously en- others elevated. * * This con- 

 clorsed by resolution the proposal ad- ference represents one of the many steps 

 vanced by the President and defined in that have been taken in recent years 

 a statement by the Secretarv of State, looking toward a harmonious coopera- 

 that there be held at The Hague, next t}on between the nat ions of the earth 

 September, a conference on the world fof the common advancement of all. 

 resources and their conservation, to + , , ^ ^ movement 

 which the forty-five nations which par- . . . . . , 

 ticipated in the last Peace Conference that y u thls da y initiate is one _ of- the 

 would be invited to send representa- utmost importance to this hemisphere 

 tives. The proposal was incorporated and may become of the utmost import- 

 in the Declaration of Principles signed ance to the world at large." 

 by the Commissioners. The President then pointed out some 

 Those who heard the President's ad- of the advantages which the North 

 dress of welcome realized that Mr. American countries would gain in com- 

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