A HALF CENTURY OF CONSERVATION 337 



pansion awheel. We have read the story in a for- 

 mer chapter. In other chapters we have found the 

 spectacular evolution of motor touring working 

 similar wonders, notably in National Forests, but in 

 National Parks its swiftness and romantic character 

 centred the national gaze. The readiness of the en- 

 tire country for the "discovery" of this system, the 

 eagerness with which the news was received, and the 

 enthusiasm with which people of all kinds and con- 

 ditions in most of the states of the nation hastened 

 to the support of the new prophet, Stephen T. 

 Mather, is one of the astonishing revelations of our 

 national psychology. It amazed and puzzled us at 

 the time. After these years, its meaning is plain. 



During the latter years the remarkable develop- 

 ment of private organization for accomplishment of 

 public purposes had swept into full tide, and out- 

 door causes, both social and conservational, because 

 they appealed to the universal American mind, prof- 

 ited more than any other. Educational organizations, 

 for example, had their playground committees, pa- 

 triotic organizations their scenic and historic land- 

 mark committees, scientific societies their wild life 

 preservation committees, shooting clubs their con- 

 servation committees. 



In fact, as wild life conservation became a na- 

 tion-wide desire, many thousands of organizations 

 for vastly different public purposes devoted time and 

 energy to this and other departments of conserva- 

 tion activities, and, when the fights were on in Con- 



