THE STORY OF OUR PUBLIC DOMAIN 57 



mally in Congress that the Public Domain be re- 

 turned forthwith to the states within whose bound- 

 aries it lies. Judging from history, this may be the 

 beginning of a long hard- fought struggle between the 

 two ideas, dragging on perhaps for years. Few 

 wars between nations have had a richer prize than 

 the Federal Lands of the United States. 



Signs are that, if this war develops, the Public 

 Domain will be the first objective. This won, local 

 interests would demand forthwith all other national 

 land possessions except only National Parks. This 

 kind of state sentiment is quite willing that the im- 

 mense annual sum spent to develop and administer 

 the parks shall be carried by the National Treasury. 



Discussing, in an address in Denver in 1926, 

 the coming attempt on the Public Domain, Secre- 

 tary Work said : 



"When legislation was passed which enabled 

 western territories to enter statehood, the Govern- 

 ment retained ownership of the public lands. The 

 land laws as now administered have been in effect 

 over half a century and have been sustained by the 

 Supreme Court of the United States when attacked. 

 Outspoken demands have been made that publicly- 

 owned lands should be returned to the States wherein 

 located. Our public lands never were owned by 

 States and, therefore, were not taken from them. 

 In 1787 the Confederate Congress passed an ordi- 

 nance establishing this fundamental policy for the 

 Government of the territory of the United States 



