236 CONSERVATION 



Root stated to the North American promptly taken to safeguard the resi- 

 Conference that the President foresaw clue, race well-being, to the remotest 

 the possibility that that conference future time, may, in a brief, historic 

 would be the precursor of a World- period, be seriously handicapped. 

 Conference, and that, by an aide- The present age demands facts. If 

 memoire in January last, the principal William the Conqueror was justified in 

 governments were informally sounded bringing together the materials which 

 as to whether they would look with make up the famous Domesday Book, 

 favor upon an invitation to send dele- and if the United States Census policy 

 gates to such a conference. Responses of continually broadening the scope of 

 were uniformly favorable. Following our decennial inquiry is wise, why 

 upon this came the proposal from the should it not be wise to enable the 

 North American Conference that such world to know the size of its bank ac- 

 a gathering be held. In view of the count, as represented by its natural re- 

 progress already made, it is conceded sources? There seems to be but one 

 that the conference will be held at the way to ascertain the facts namely, by 

 time and place named. In his valu- concerted action, such as an interna- 

 able article in this issue, continuing tional conference implies. Again, there 

 the one from his pen in the last, Mr. is but one way to make the results of 

 Treadwell Cleveland, Jr., of the Forest such an inquiry available namely, by 

 Service, discusses this conference, and "devising a uniform scheme for the ex- 

 formulates the problems which may be pression" of these results, and then 

 expected to confront it. their publication. 



As the Secretary of State points out, Such material, it is true, may be 



the object of the conference might well utilized by special interests, as specu- 



be to plan an "inventory of the nat- lators ; yet, while such interests exist, 



ural resources of the world, and to this result cannot well be avoided. The 



devise a uniform scheme for the ex- data will also be widely used by econo- 



pression of the results of such inven- mists, and especially, it is fair to as- 



tory, to the end that there may be a sume, by representatives of govern- 



general understanding and apprecia- ments in the formulation and admin- 



tion of the world's supply of material istration of national policies, 



elements which underlie the develop- Even larger results may be expected 



ment of civilization and the welfare of to follow. Through the invention and 



the earth." improvement of agencies of transporta- 



In view of facts now common knowl- tion, communication, -and the diffusion 



edge regarding the destruction of nat- of knowledge, the world is fast becom- 



ural resources in the Old World and ing one great neighborhood. The 



the New, the propriety and desirability broad doctrine enunciated by the Presi- 



of such a conference should be clear, dent, so contrary to the old-time, na- 



As was stated in the preliminary aide- tional particularism and exclusiveness 



memoire, "The people of the whole in accordance with which each nation 



world are interested in the natural re- was prone to think of its own gain as 



sources of the whole world, benefited directly proportional to the losses of its 



by their conservation, and injured by neighbors the doctrine that the nations 



their destruction." It is upon these re- must rise or fall together, that each is 



sources that the human race, for what- part and parcel of one common whole, 



ever progress and prosperity it may in that the social organism extends be- 



future enjoy, must, so far as can be an- yond national lines and includes the 



ticipated, rely to the end of time. And race such a doctrine must receive re- 



so powerful has become the enginery newed emphasis at every delegated 



of modern industrial civilization, and meeting of the nations of the world 



so gigantic and rapid the consumption such as it may be hoped will follow 



and waste of the earth's stock of raw from the one of next September. As a 



materials, that, unless measures are means of promoting international peace, 



