THE NATIONAL PARKS SYSTEM 271 



ing to real or imagined local interest, the story of 

 Mammoth Cave is eloquent. An advisory commis- 

 sion appointed to report the best National Park 

 available in the southern Appalachians had chosen 

 Great Smoky, had then shifted to Shenandoah be- 

 cause of its nearness to Washington, and finally, 

 after the bill was filed, had agreed to add Great 

 Smoky, making two choices instead of one. It de- 

 clined at that time to add Mammoth Cave in spite 

 of the urging of local interests. 



When, in the spring of 1926, the Temple bill to 

 authorize Great Smoky and Shenandoah approached 

 passage, Mammoth Cave demands were renewed, 

 but the attempt to write it into the bill with the 

 others was refused. Claiming that its authorization 

 was necessary to the re-election of a United States 

 Senator whose term was expiring, and threatening 

 to block the Temple bill unless it also should pass, 

 its backers forced a belated recommendation from 

 the advisory commission. With this, on the eve of 

 a Congressional election in which control of the Sen- 

 ate was in doubt, Mammoth Cave was authorized 

 without approval of the Secretary of the Interior, 

 and without any official of the National Park Ser- 

 vice having even seen it. 



From this may be predicted with certainty 

 what the fate of our National Parks System would 

 be with amateur advisers in the field and national 

 politics directing its course. National Parks can 

 only be safely chosen by the permanent, respon- 



