Show Perma Permanence nence a and nd Water Resources By Frederic Frederk J. J Haskin I WASHINGTON When one hears such a R. phrase as the permanence permanence per of America ho he Is al almost almost almost al- al most certain to assume that the speaker Is talking about the political po po- or social of the tho nation naHon that he is perhaps listenIng listenIng listening listen listen- ing to some pessimist or radical predicting the passage of oC the democratic form of government or the known standard of living JIving The idea that the speaker might refer to tho the actual material America would seem too fantastic to be DC thinkable Yet scientists who have specialized m In the subject actually refer reter in speaking of permanence to the continent itself Itsel to the stern and rock bound coast of New England England England En En- gland to the Rocky mountains to the great plains and all the other i vast physical phenomena which go go to make North America But especially to the soil The simple fact is that scientists d do not regard this as a permanent permanent permanent perma perma- nent continent in the sense sens that Europe is p permanent Such distinguished distinguished distinguished dis dis- dis- dis savants as s Arthur J. J Mason and Nathaniel S. S Shaler the he Harvard professor to say nothing of Morris Llewellyn Liewellyn Cooke the engineer who recently has been put in charge of ot the vast federal rural engineering undertakings undertakings under under- takings look Jook upon America as an impermanent part of the globe I It is not riot that these and other students students students stu stu- dents ot of the subject think that the United States Canada and tho the thorest thorest thoI I rest of ot the continent are going to disappear a week from next Tuesday or even before the next presidential election But they are aware that in a geologic geologic'S sense North America is disintegrating disintegrating grating more rapidly than probably probably abl ably any other section of the world The Hydrologic Cycle cle Says Morris Cooke Removed as 30 so much of Its area is from oceans and other large Jarge bodies of water and with its agriculture and climate what hat they are the United States of America is not a permanent country Scientists especially those who devote their study to geology and the larger phases of hydraulics have constructed what is known as the hydrologic cycle This is the name given to the series of natural phenomena through which water evaporated from froni the lands and oceans maneuvers above on and below the surface of the land Jand before being absorbed back into the vast reservoirs from whence it came So vital are the forces of ot nature nature nature na na- na- na ture that in the long Jong run nothing can stop the steady wearing away of the continent but the process can be materially retarded by the proper control of the waters of our part of the earth Nearly half a century ago Shaler of Harvard wrote It is isnow isnow isnow now a question whether human culture which rests upon the use of the soil can devise and enforce enforce enforce en en- force ways of dealing with the earth which will vill preserve this source of life so that it may support support support sup sup- port the men of ages to come If this cannot be done we must look Jook foward to the time time remote remote it may be yet clearly discernible when our ur kind having wasted its great inheritance will fade from the earth the ruin It has accomplished It appears to present day scientists scientists scientists that while when he be made it Professor Shaler's prediction seemed to relate to conditions too remote to concern the stewards of at the nation the acceleration of change has been so great that unless unless un un- un- un less Jess drastic steps are taken there remain l less ss than years ears of ot virile national existence to the American Ameri Ameri- can people Now there are men living in the United States today who are more than years old This means that especially in view of constantly increasing longevity individuals now living living living liv liv- ing might well see what would well nigh amount to the end of ot their world Spirited discussion of the problem problem problem lem of water and soil soU conservation conservation conserva conserva- tion has been stimulated of late lato by the advent of or the great dust- dust storms of oC the middle west For generations the west has known but only in circumscribed circumscribed circum circum- scribed districts Now entire states whole groups of states and indeed the whole continental tat tai United Scales Sates cast east of the tho Rocky mountains have felt the effect of the As though transported by some genii of at Arabian Nights magic the farmlands of entire counties have been lifted into the air and flung awa away Analysis of ot particles found in the atmosphere on the occasion occasion occasion occa occa- sion of a which passed over the national capital revealed minute particles which were identified iden iden- tilled as having come from New Mexico When Shaler of Harvard made his prediction concerning the impermanency impermanency impermanency im- im permanency of oC America he was without the benefit of ot suc such ex ex- He could not foresee the speed with which the forests of America would be cut down for timber or be burned away in thunderous thunderous thun thun- derous forest conflagrations What he thought would take perhaps perhaps perhaps per per- haps centuries to accomplish has been done in half a century and anda a point has been reached now where to engineers the end is in insight sight Aerial Erosion Looms Loom Morris Cooke subscribes to tho the statement that at the present rate of erosion in 50 years' years time there will remain only acres of oC fertile ferUle land The estimate is based on the fact that there is that much level Jevel farmland which presumably will stay in place through la lack k of hydraulic erosion But this reckons without aerial erosion something erosion something new in the American Americ n scene Should there be bea a number of successive years of drouth as there have been for the thelast thelast last Jast three or four years over a considerable area of the country the matter of hydraulic erosion might well become almost sec see The aerial erosion the theft of top soil by the winds of heaven would be as great as the theft through the run off oft of streams In such circumstances of drouth and removal of the fertile fertile fertile fer fer- tile top soil by aerial erosion the flatlands probably would be more moreIn morein morein in danger than the slopes But leave the figure at acres The total land area of the United States is acres This includes the rugged slopes of the Rocky mountains and other ranges which produce nothing and can produce nothing It includes the desert lands and the swamp lands the cut over lands and the areas covered by cities cities in in short everything But Butof Butof Butof of this total the area In farms is only acres or per percent percent percent cent of the whole Now if it in 50 years the tillable area were to tobe tobe tobe be reduced to acres only as much farmland as would equal the three states of South Dakota Nebraska and Kansas would remain to raise the food of the nation Saving Must Start Now NowHere NowHere NowHere Here indeed would be a solution solution solution tion with a vengeance of any problem of surplus agricultural production but there would arise an ha increasingly fretting problem of what the tho remaining population would do Especially impressive is the statement of Mr Cooke that if these things are not to take place Americans must bestir themselves As an engineer engineer engineer en en- he points out that the saving saving saying sav say ing of the continent cannot be accomplished accomplished accomplished ac ac- ac- ac in a hurry like the raising of an army for battle He estimates that 20 years will be needed to perfect to-perfect perfect the techniques and recruit the experts needed to meet the oncoming fate So much already has been lost so much that centuries of natural geologic action would be required to re restore restore restore re- re store that there Is no time to lose Jose The situation is reminiscent of the fact that one of the long range plans of ot President Hoover was for the creation of a a. department of water which would take within with with- in its scope this and allied water |