FIFTH NATIONAL, CONSERVATION CONGRESS 37 



those created by others to his own advantage. One of our famous ex-presidents, 

 whose remarks get the front page of every paper, on a western trip, decided to 

 make his first talk in a certain State at a small town reached soon after passing 

 its border. Obviously the speech would go over the wires nearly verbatim. The 

 manager of this State's forest fire association, shrewdly guessing that the great 

 man would welcome suggestions for localizing his talk and showing familiarity 

 with conditions, wired him enroute to speak of local timber wealth and dwell 

 upon forest fires and their suppression. He did so, and at no cost but for the 

 telegram the most effective publicity punch in the United States was concentrated 

 and localized for forest protection in that State. It reached every newspaper 

 reader in it within a few hours and was available for quotation indefinitely. This 

 was sheer publicity genius, but everyone of us has many such opportunities. 



It follows that effort should be to do new things, rather than copy old ones, 

 but some suggestions may lie in an outline of plans already tried or proposed. 



Posters and Warnings. 



The best examples omit laws, penalties and long arguments. Terse epigram- 

 matic appeals and striking statements appear in large type and bright colois, 

 readable at considerable distance. Cartoons and symbolism are increasingly 

 employed. Series of different posters, each devoted to a single idea, are often 

 effective on long roads or trails. Present tendency is away from cloth or metal 

 posters, once preferred for durability, and toward a jute tag-board or fibre 

 which takes coloring work well. 150-lb. stock (34x36) is about right. Thinner 

 paper is weak, thicker is expensive to mail and breaks when folded. Most 

 experts agree that complete change of design each season is better than durability. 



The warning poster is rapidly advancing from general woods use to special 

 fields, such as reminding smokers in railroad trains not to throw burning material 

 from car windows, and around logging camps to convey fire rules endorsed by 

 proprietors. If prepared and distributed by forest protective agencies, such 

 special warnings will be signed and posted by many business institutions. 



Circulars. 



Effectiveness in circular "literature" depends, even more than upon good 

 writing, upon attractive make-up and skilful distrubution. Unless you reach 

 people not already converted, and get past their indifference bred of over- 

 cirCularizing by countless advertising agencies, the expense is wasted. Either 

 there should be different series to present special appeals to different vocations 

 and localities, or all material should be carefully prepared with this in mind. 

 It is easy to prejudice one class by what is strongest with another toward which 

 it feels antagonism if, as is most effective, your argument to the latter is on a 

 personal business basis rather than upon patriotic generalities. 



Preparation of mailing lists wholly outside our own sympathizers, which is 

 where material should go, involves great care to have names correctly spelled 

 and addresses up to date. Those in position to aid as sub-distributors, like county 

 and town officials, teachers, ministers, lumbermen, and business houses, should 



