wilderness, nearly all playground. No thought of creating a playground entered the heads of the Montana explorers who asked Congress to set it apart "For the use and enjoyment of the people" forever, or of the Congress which made it the first National Park of a mighty system. What that Congress made of Yellowstone was a National Museum of the Wonders of Nature. And succeeding Congresses have followed this purpose in the creation of National Parks since, perpetuating even the phrases of the original Yellowstone Act. Let us forget this "Playground" misnomer, the oratorical euphonism of the last decade. As national museums of native America they must be most faithfully preserved, or they will lose their value. Every lake in each of these great museums is an exhibit of scientific meaning and worth. Change its level and we shall destroy its value as an exhibit of nature. And that is far from all. We shall alter the life conditions of its shores and often of the forests for miles around. If we deepen the shallows on the south shores of Yellowstone Lake, for one example, the Shiras elk, last of its species, which feed in these shallows, must seek other homes, perhaps among the sportsmen outside the National Park. "But reservoirs will make the parks more beautiful by increasing the size of the lakes," cry the despoilers. For the falseness of this statement see any reservoir in the travel month of August when the water is drawn low. See the August abomination of Jackson Lake reservoir at the foot of the lordly Tetens. But granting, for the sake of argument, even the truth of that, what has beauty to do with the purpose of our National Museums of native America? Not one thing. It was not because Yellowstone was beautiful that a prophetic Congress of half a century ago began the creation of our National Parks system, but because its exhibits of Nature should be preserved for all time. Let us not belittle beauty any more than recreation. Let us rather thank God that our National Museums of native America are also beautiful and are also playgrounds. I place such emphasis upon the real meaning and purpose of our National Parks because the popular misconception of today is the cause of much of our trouble in preserving them from the destructive grasp of business. Reestablish this conception in the minds of the people and of Congress, and our pathway to recover ed preservation will be wide and smooth. Go home and preach it. Spread this conception to the uttermost corners of the land as only your great organization can and the General Federation will again have rendered a very real public service to the Nation and to posterity. I shall always remember and posterity will remember that it was the women who performed the greater service in the saving of our National Parks in an hour of great emergency. The General Federation's entrance into the slender ranks of the park defenders in Septembr, 1920, and the wholehearted and devoted zeal which it gave the cause, working in every state of the land, stemmed the onrush of conservation's enemies much as our American Marines halted the enemies of freedom on the fields of France. But have we, with all our victories, won the war? We have beaten off the irrigationists, but water-power has sunk a great dent into our line which must be straightened out before our National Parks return to the safety of before the Water Power Act. Before the Water Power Act the law held our National Parks completely conserved. In those safe times it was up to every would-be invader to prove to Congress his right to invade. The Water Power Act turned over National Parks to a commission created especially to promote water power. Our Jones-Esch Bill proposed to rescue them from the Water Power Act, returning them to Congress. Right there the enemy outflanked us. They forced the Pierce Amendment upon our Jones-Esch Bill, limiting salvation to National Parks which existed at that time. That was in January, 1921. So it is that the law today condemns every new National Park to the action of the Water Power Act; and unless we change that law, unless we repeal that Pierce Amendment, we have lost the war. Since that time the Barbour Bill has been introduced, calling for a new National Park, Roosevelt-Sequoia, and is now before Congress. We called on the women's clubs to help make this bill a safe bill, and they helped. The Barbour bill was made safe. But now we learn that Representative Osborne will try to force an amendment on the Barbour Bill to throw the RooseveltSequoia Park into the hands of a powerful water-power combination. The Federation Clubs of California, and especially of Los Angeles, are helping. The Osborne Amendment will not pass. And presently will come Conservation's great forward movement to straighten out that dent which five water-power companies sank into our flank with the Pierce Amendment and restore our whole great park system to safety. FRIDAY AFTERNOON, JUNE 23 2:30 o'clock Alumni Hall (Kimball Room) ART CONFERENCE Mrs. Walter S. Little, Chairman Art Department, Presiding "The Needs of Art To-day." Mrs. Rose V. S. Berry, Chairman of Fine Arts Department, G. F. W. C. Division Roll Call. Talks on their work by the heads of Division "Art in the Community." Mrs. H. B. Burnet.* "Civic Art and War Memorials." Mrs. John MacKee.* "Art for Home's Sake." Mrs. W. S. Little.* States Roll Call. Reports on their work by State Art Chairmen or their representatives Adjournment, 5:00 o'clock. *There were several excellent addresses given at this Conference which are not included in the report. Through some oversight they were not left with the Secretary, and since the ladies are on vacation-some of them in Europe-we have been unable to reach them before going to press.-Rose V. S. Berry, Chairman of Fine Arts. ADDRESS. THE NEEDS OF ART TO-DAY. MRS. ROSE V. S. BERRY. In speaking of "The Needs of Art To-day," one is bound by only one thing, and that is the time limitation, if they are speaking in the United States. We are the only nation ranking high among nations which seems to have almost a perverse disregard of the beautiful. We are the only people who have failed to count our art as an asset, and the artists one of the favored groups deserving honor and patronage. Other nations have ways of conferring honors upon their painters, sculptors, or architects, we have no such possibility, and the only honor or recognition that may come to an American artist, is that which the artists have organized themselves to give to each other. Other nations convey honors of orders, and national schools, upon Americans who prove themselves worthy in competition with the world's best, but the United States passes them by unappreciated. If the Art Division of the General Federation of Women's Clubs does nothing else than to make this known it will have served the American artist in a great way. But, there are many ways in which it may assist to bring art to the American people who are needing it more than any other folk on earth because, comparatively speaking, they have less. We want more of a standardized excellence in our homes. We want modern furniture made upon the approved and established patterns which are both practical and beautiful-they do exist, and they are "a joy forever." We should forsake the fad of fashion for permanent pattern which endures. From the kitchen cabinet to the flowers planted at the entrance way, we need careful thought in American every-day use or abuse of the beautiful. If only there were those who could make us see that it is a matter of thought, and not a matter of money. For little, or no greater investment than the first cost, we might have things beautiful in our homes. Our homes are not the only places suffering from thoughtlessness. Our streets are made ugly by inappropriate street lamps, mail boxes, and fire and police alarm boxes. One can't imagine anything more successfully ugly than they are. There is one thing that is uglier, however, and that is the "Rural Free Delivery Mail Box." We say nothing at all of the hideous overhead telephone wires; the ugly stands, trays, boxes, and improvised places for displaying goods for sale upon the streets. Public opinion directed to this abuse of privilege, and the destroying of the opportunity for the beautiful, is in a great measure the work which women may accomplish, and public opinion once aroused is dynamic. Let us see to it that the public is called to contemplate thesethings seriously. When America rolls out for its week ends in its 10,000,000 automobiles, on its highways and boulevards which have cost hundreds of millions, if they use their eyes at all, they must read most of the time that there is an industry absolutely un-"tire-" ing in attracting their attention. They do not need to be reminded that there are "57" ways of stating the fact. In coming by train into Trenton, N. J., with a watch in hand, for the last twenty minutes, it is impossible to count the billboards, they run from sixty to ninety in two minutes. Driving on Pennsylvania Avenue toward the Capitol, in Washington, D. C., for quite a distance "Wrigley"—a huge electric sign, is between the observer and the Capitol Dome. Such a thing would be amusing, if it were not a disgrace. The magnificent dome of the Capitol of the United States, splotched with "Wrigley's Chewing Gum," is a sight to make any good, loyal American wonder if chewing gum can take the earth. Washington, D. C., should suggest that Wrigley take his electric sign home and plant it in front of his beautiful building erected upon the most conspicuous bend of Michigan Avenue, Chicago, where once more Wrigley has proven capable of selecting a conspicuous site. "The needs of Art?" Even Wrigley knows of them, chews (es) and pays for them. We have been speaking in a broad way concerning the "Needs of Art" in America. If we come to more specific conditions and statements it is worse and one might almost add, more pathetic. There is a very worthy and a distinctive characteristic element in the production of the American artists. It is one long recognized by the European critics. There is a fresh brilliancy; a singular directness; a deep understanding, with a keen sense for discovering and revealing moods; there is |