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Show PRESIDENT PROCLAIMS FOREST WEEK WASHINGTON, L. C, March 11. American Forest week, a national observance now in its fifth year, was given its send off today by ' President ('oolidge in the following proclamation : "In proclaiming American Forest week, I desire to bring to the attention atten-tion of all our people the danger that comes from the neglect of our forests. "For several years the nation has observed Forest Protection week. It is fitting that this observance be enlarged. en-larged. We have too freely spent the rich and magnificent gift, that nature bestowed on us. In our eagerness to use that gift we have stripped our forests; we have permitted per-mitted fires to lay waste and devour de-vour them; we have all too often destroyed the young growth and the seed from which new forests might spring. And though we already feel the first grip of timber shortage, we have barely begun to save and restore. "We have passed the pioneer stage and are no longer excusable for continuing this unwise dissipation dissipa-tion of u great resource. To the nation it means the lack of an elemental ele-mental necessity and the waste of keeping idle or only partly productive produc-tive nearly one-fourth of our soil. To our forest-using industries it means unstable investments, the depletion de-pletion forest capital, the disbanding dis-banding of established enterprises, and the decline of one of our most important industrial groups. "Our forests ought to be put to work and kept at work. I do not minimize ihe obstacles that have to be met, nor the difficulty of changing chang-ing old ideas and practices. We must all put our hands to this common com-mon task. It is not enough that the federal, state, and local governments govern-ments tkae the lead. There must be a change in our national attitude. atti-tude. Our industries, our landowners, land-owners, our farmers, all our citizens citi-zens must learn to treat our forests for-ests as crops, to be used but also to be renewed. We must learn to tend our woodlands as carefully as we tend our farms. "Let us apply to this creative task the boundless energy and skill we have so long spent in harvesting the free gifts of nature. The forests for-ests of the future must be started today. Our children are dependent on our course. We are bound by a solemn obligation from which no evasion and no subterfuge will re lieve us. Unless we fulfill our sacred responsibility to unborn gerenations, unless we use the gratitude and with restraint the generous and kindly gifts of Divine Providence, we shall prove ourselves our-selves unworthy guardians of a. heritage we hold in trust. "Now, therefore, I, Calvin Cool-idgc, Cool-idgc, president of the United States, do recommend to the governors of the various states to designate and set apart the week of April 27 to May 3, inclusive, 1025, as American Ameri-can Forest week, and, wherever practicable and not in conflict with state law or accepted customs, to celebrate Arbor day within that week. And I urge public officials, public and business associations, industrial in-dustrial leaders, forest owners, editors, educators, and all patriotic citizens to unite in the common task of forest conservation and renewal. re-newal. "In witness whereof, I have hereunto here-unto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. af-fixed. "Done in the city of Washington this 21st day of February iu the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and forty-ninth. (Signed) "CALVIN COOLIDGF. "By the President: (Signed) "Charles E. Hughes, "Secretary of State." |