absence of foresight from among the springs of national action, which 

 is directly responsible for the present condition of our natural re- 

 sources. It was precisely the same attitude which brought Palestine, 

 once rich and populous, to its present desert condition, and which 

 destroyed the fertility and habitability of vast areas in northern 

 Africa and elsewhere in so many of the older regions of the world. 



Destruction of soil in southwestern Georgia illustrating the manner in which a 

 small area of forest arrests erosion. The annual loss of soil in the country totals, 

 millions of dollars ; preventative measures would cost a very small percent of this. 



The conservation of our natural resources is a question of primary 

 importance on the economic side. It pays better to conserve our 

 natural resources than to destroy them, and this is especially true- 

 when the national interest is considered. But the business reason,, 

 weighty and worthy though it be, is not the fundamental reason. In 1 

 such matters, business is a poor master but a good servant. The law 

 of self-preservation is higher than the law of business, and the duty 

 of preserving the nation is still higher than either. 



41 



