To the Editor of the "Nontu-Caixa Datty News"
Sm—It has come to my knowledge that the Chinese Forestry Association has presented to the British Indemnity Fund Committee a plan' for investigations and research in. for determining rand sell. conse vation in China and for making the results of such studies generally Ynown and particularly to the rural' population through education avenues. Mindful of the importance' of the subject, I should appreciate space in the "North-China Daily News" to call attention £6 certain considerations.
During my fairly extensive travels {into the back country of mountainous jeentral and north China (for aside from the great delta of the Yellow iver and the lesser ones of the! Hwai and Yangtze, China is entially mountainous)in order to study forest conditions and problems, Thave become fairly well acquainted with the major physical problems several regions. It is not. too} nich to say that in every case the major problems are (1) the conservation of water and soil and (2) improved transportation. It is difficult to say which should have Hrecedence, so urgent are the two to improve and ameliorate the miserable economic condition of many obvious and have been demonstrated, I wish to urge an attack on the Problems of the working out of ways. Jand methods of making a more complete use of the rain waters, and Fedueing the excessive loss of from the hill and mountain slopes through erosion, gullying and the development of torrents. Water conservation is of first importance in all regions where the products of exchange are meagre and the regional purchasing power is consequently low.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.