STORY OF OUR NATIONAL FOREST 123 



naturally settled into definitely opposing camps. For 

 the first time anti-conservation organized to meet 

 the conservationists who, without respect to party 

 and in every state in the nation, gathered in con- 

 stantly increasing numbers behind the Roosevelt 

 leadership. The struggles increased in purpose and 

 in violence, centering principally at first upon agri- 

 culture and grazing in the public forests, and later 

 upon governmental charges for private use of pub- 

 lic utilities. The latter, which Roosevelt relentlessly 

 carried through upon an opinion of the Attorney- 

 General without Congressional authority, provoked 

 years of bitter struggle. He won his conservation 

 causes because he was perpetually aggressive, for- 

 cing the fight at many points at the same time, in- 

 ferring executive authority from general enactments 

 and acting promptly and forcefully thereunder. 

 From the beginning to the end of his presidency, 

 he kept the anti-conservationists in Congress on the 

 defense always excited, often vituperative, never 

 quite catching up. 



The Agricultural Appropriation bill of 1907 

 which anti-conservationists used by amendment to 

 rob the President of his power to create forest re- 

 serves in certain states was not all loss, for another 

 of its provisions permitted the use of national re- 

 serve timber outside the boundaries of the states 

 where it was cut. This once for all nationalized our 

 forests, which thereafter were accurately and offi- 

 cially called National Forests. 



