by which this money would be expended in the purchase of land in the two areas should they agree to pool their funds. The commission informed the members of the delegation that the Virginia association had not consulted the Southern Appalachian National Park Commission regarding its methods for raising funds. Furthermore, the commission stated that that was the business of the respective States and not one in which the commission desired to be in any way connected or involved.

Ön the evening of August 24, 1925, a conference was held in the Evening Star Building, Washington, between the representatives from North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia for the purpose of giving the delegates an opportunity to discuss the possibility of a joint campaign for raising money outside the respective States for the purchase of the two parks. The members of the Southern Appalachian Park Commission were invited to this conference, and Messrs. Gregg and Kelsey and Colonel Smith attended.

Colonel Benchoff, president of the Shenandoah National Park Association (Inc.), opened the meeting.

Colonel Chapman, vice chairman of the Great Smoky Mountain Conservation Association, explained the purpose of their meeting with Virginia representatives for this conference, and stated that it was the desire of Tennessee and North Carolina to join with Virginia in the drive for funds for the two proposed national parks located in their respective States; that Virginia might raise what funds she could within her own State for the proposed park but that when she went outside of Virginia it was the desire of the Great Smoky Park proponents to raise the funds on a 50-50 basis-that the interests of the two parks were identical, that nothing would be gained by one area having an advantage over the other, and that it was better to keep on an even keel and go in together to get the two parks, for competition in the matter was unwise. He stated that the Great Smoky Park people were ready and anxious to cooperate if an agreement acceptable to both sections could be reached.

A general discussion of plans for cooperating in the raising of funds for the two parks followed, and Mr. T. L. Farrar, of Charlottesville, Va., explained the plan under which his corporation intended to work in the State of Virginia. No agreement was reached at this meeting regarding cooperation between the States, but plans were perfected for a conference to be held at Richmond, Va., on September 9, 1925, to which the Great Smoky Mountain delegates of North Carolina and Tennessee were invited, to present their plan of cooperation in concrete form.

On August 25, 1925, Mr. Gregg called a meeting of the commission, which was held in its rooms. Messrs. Gregg, Smith, and Kelsey were present, Major Welch and Representative Temple being in the West on other park business. The object of the meeting was to decide on the advisability of the commission's employing its own agents to obtain options on land within the proposed national park areas. It was decided that the commission should employ five men of experience to obtain options, as suggested, to be paid for out of funds of the commission, such employment not to exceed 30 days, and the total amount allowed for this purpose not to exceed $1,500. Colonel Smith was authorized to employ these men. After a brief trial with two men appointed for the purpose of getting options

within the Shenandoah area, it was found that this plan was going to be more expensive than had been expected and, furthermore, that the results were not satisfactory. This work was then discontinued.

On September 9, 1925, representatives of four organizations, organized to further the creation of national parks in the southern Appalachian Mountains, met in the Hotel Jefferson, Richmond, to decide, if possible, on a basis for mutual cooperation for a nationwide movement for the raising of funds to purchase land for the proposed parks.

The Southern Appalachian National Park Commission, the Great Smoky Mountains Park Commission of Tennessee, and the North Carolina Park Commission were guests of the Shenandoah National Park Association (Inc.), of Virginia, at a luncheon at which Governor Byrd and Col. Leroy T. Hodges, of Richmond, managing director of the Virginia State Chamber of Commerce, were honor guests and. speakers.

At the joint executive meeting held immediately afterwards it was decided that, while each State association should work independently within its own borders, the claims of twin national parks, as designated in the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains by the commission, would be presented to the Nation as one object. Every American outside the States of Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, including the District of Columbia, would be shown the advantages of presenting twin park areas to the Government at one and the same time.

Those present at this meeting were Mr. Gregg, Mr. Kelsey, Colonel Smith, and Major Welch, representing the Southern Appalachian National Park Commission; Mr. W. P. Davis, Gen. C. F. Spence, and Col. D. C. Chapman, of Knoxville, representing the Great Smoky Mountains Park Commission of Tennessee; and Dr. E. C. Brooks, of Raleigh, N. C., Senator Mark Squires, of Lenoir, N. C., and Senator Plato Ebbs, of Asheville, N. C., representing the North Carolina Park Commission. The Shenandoah National Park Association was represented_by_the following members of its board of directors: Messrs. H. J. Benchoff, Woodstock; Thomas B. McAdams, Richmond; Hollis Rinehart, Charlottesville; D. P. Wine, Harrisonburg; L. Ferdinand Zerkel, Luray; R. H. Angell, Roanoke H. H. Harris, Lynchburg; C. N. Hoover, New Market; Lee Long, Dante; Hugh E. Naylor, Front Royal; W. A. Ryan, Winchester and Dr. Joseph H. Smith, Petersburg.

At this meeting the following resolution was passed:

Resolved, That the associations agree upon a plan of cooperation for the general campaign outside of the States of Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia, which is to include the District of Columbia.

Any campaigns in either of these three States above mentioned are to be conducted by their respective State agencies, and funds so raised are to be controlled by said agencies.

Expenses and guaranties of the general campaign outside of the above-mentioned States are to be borne by the two parks on a 50-50 basis, respectively Great Smoky and Shenandoah.

Division of funds from the general campaign is to be made on a 50-50 basis except that those designated shall go to the area designated by the donor and shall not be included in the division.

That the Shenandoah National Park Association (Inc.) be requested to revise its contract to apply only to the State of Virginia and the District of 67593-31-3

Columbia and that the new association be organized for a general campaign and authorized to enter into a contract, incorporating into the contract the terms existing in the present contract with reference to the solicitation of funds outside of the above-mentioned States of Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia, including the District of Columbia, the Shenandoah National Park Association (Inc.) being relieved of this portion of the contract now existing, provided it can be mutually agreed upon.

It was decided that the name of the new association should be The Appalachian National Park Association (Inc.), and it was further decided that a committee of 5, consisting of 1 representative of the Southern Appalachian National Park Commission, 1 from Tennessee, 1 from North Carolina, and 2 from Virginia be authorized to make application for charter and incorporation of this association.

Immediately after the general meeting of the representatives of the three States, Vice Chairman Gregg called a meeting of the Southern Appalachian National Park Commission in the Hotel Jefferson to act on the request made at the joint meeting that the commission should designate one of its members to serve on the committee of five, for the purpose of coordinating the efforts of the three States in procuring funds from sources outside of the States concerned for the purchase of land within the proposed parks. Major Welch was appointed by the vice chairman to represent the commission on this committee, the other members of which were Messrs. H. J. Benchoff, J. H. Smith, Mark Squires, and D. C. Chapman. Major Welch was instructed to request the committee to refer to the commission before final action any matter which might affect the policy of the commission.

On September 29, 1925, a meeting of park enthusiasts was held at Charlottesville, Va. Colonel Smith addressed this meeting, enumerating the benefits that Virginia would derive from having a national park within her borders. Several hundred people attended this meeting, which was held in the National Guard Armory.

During November and December members of the commission were called upon to visit several cities in Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee, to address meetings that were being held to advocate the establishment of national parks in the Great Smoky and Shenandoah areas and to solicit funds.

Representative Temple called a meeting of the commission January 8, 1926, to be held in the office of the commission. All members were present.

Before opening the meeting the commission received Col. H. J. Benchoff, president of the Shenandoah National Park Association (Inc.), of Virginia; Senator Mark Squires, chairman of the North Carolina Park Commission; and Col. D. C. Chapman, chairman of the Tennessee Great Smoky Mountains Park Commission, who were invited to give reports on the progress of their campaigns in the States they represented. They discussed the serious situation which confronted them in their endeavor to raise sufficient funds to purchase land for the proposed parks and outlined a suggested plan for starting their nation-wide campaign outside of the States for obtaining necessary funds. Colonel Benchoff reported that favorable progress was made in securing pledges for contributions in Virginia. The commission urged the chairmen of the three State or

ganizations to endeavor to obtain funds as rapidly as possible, before the prices of the land should become so high as to be almost prohibitive.

In the afternoon the commission met, Vice Chairman Gregg acting in the absence of Chairman Temple. Major Welch offered the following resolution, which was adopted:

Resolved, That the Southern Appalachian National Park Commission respectfully and earnestly request Mr. Adolph S. Ochs, publisher of the New York Times, to accept the chairmanship of the Appalachian National Parks Association (Inc.), for the purpose of soliciting and receiving gifts of money and land for the creation of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina, and the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, and that a committee representing this commission, the Tennessee Great Smoky Mountains Park Commission, the North Carolina Park Commission, and the Shenandoah National Park Association of Virginia call on Mr. Ochs and present the details of this proposed movement and urge his acceptance of this office.

It was arranged to have several prominent people write Mr. Ochs urging that he accede to this request.

On January 9, 1926, the commission resumed its session at the Cosmos Club, Washington, with all members present. At this time the question of visiting the Mammoth Cave area was brought up, and Colonel Smith and Mr. Kelsey were designated to investigate this area and make a report, also to obtain additional information regarding the amount of funds already pledged for the purchase of land in the area.

During the early part of February, Major Welch, at the request of the North Carolina Park Commission, visited Salisbury, Charlotte, Gastonia, Lenoir, Monroe, and Raleigh, addressing gatherings to assist the State officials in arousing enthusiasm in their campaign for raising funds. He also attended a large meeting of the Chamber of Commerce at Norfolk, Va., which had in view the raising of funds for the purchase of the Shenandoah National Park.

On March 26, Governor Byrd of Virginia called the directors of the Shenandoah National Park Association to Richmond for a conference at his office. Colonel Smith was invited and was present. At this meeting the governor received a report of the activities of the Shenandoah National Park Association and outlined the plans he had for submitting to the legislature a request for funds with which to purchase land within the proposed park area.

On March 30 the members of the commission were invited to attend a dinner of local business men at the Washington Hotel, Washington, with a view to raising funds in the city of Washington for the purchase of land in the proposed Shenandoah National Park area, and Colonel Smith and Chairman Temple attended. At this dinner Chairman Temple; Senator Swanson, of Virginia; Dr. W. J. Showalter, assistant director of the National Geographic Magazine; and several District officials made speeches.

On April 5, Chairman Temple called a meeting of the commission to write the report on the Shenandoah, Great Smoky Mountains, and Mammoth Cave areas. All members were present except Mr. Gregg, who was in Europe.

The commissioners spent April 5 to 8, inclusive, in drawing up their report. Before submitting it to the Secretary of the Interior Mr. Gregg was informed of its main points by cable and authorized

the secretary of the commission to sign the report for him. The report as submitted read as follows:

The members of the Southern Appalachian National Park Commission, appointed in accordance with the act of February 21, 1925 (Public No. 437, 68th Cong.), have complied with the requirements of the act and with your instructions and desire to report as follows:

We suggest that reference be made to the report of your special committee submitted December 12, 1924, which gave the reasons for definitely recommending the Shenandoah National Park area and the Smoky Mountains National Park area as worthy of being acquired as national parks. In conformity with the requirements of the above-cited act of Congress, members of the commission have during the past year made a more careful study and investigation of these and other areas and have found much additional evidence of the eminent worthiness of these two areas for acquisition as national parks. Your commission has also made a careful examination of the Mammoth Cave region of Kentucky and believes sufficient reasons exist to warrant its acceptance as a national park if requirements are met as outlined in this report. Below are briefly outlined some of these reasons.

Mammoth Cave is the best known and probably the largest of a remarkable group of limestone caverns, 20 or more of which have been opened up and explored to a greater or less extent. Included in this group are Colossal Cavern, Great Onyx Cave, new entrance to Mammoth Cave, Salts Cave, Proctor Cave, Long Avenue Cave, Great Crystal Cave, Cave of the Hundred Domes, Diamond Cave, Mammoth Onyx Cave, Dixon Cave, and others, all of which contain beautiful and wonderful formations. There is good evidence that many more caverns yet to be discovered exist in this immediate territory, and it seems likely that most, if not all, of this entire group of caverns eventually will be found to be connected by passageways forming a great underground labyrinth of remarkable geological and recreational interest, perhaps unparalleled elsewhere. The territory which embraces this network of caverns consists of about 15,000 acres, or an area approximately 4 miles wide and 6 miles long. Another geological feature of much interest is found in the thousands of curious sink holes of varying sizes through which much of the drainage is carried to underground streams, there being few surface brooks or creeks.

The Mammoth Cave area is situated in one of the most rugged portions of the great Mississippi Valley and contains areas of apparently original forests, which, though comparatively small in extent, are of prime value from an ecological and scientific standpoint and should be preserved for all time in their virgin state for study and enjoyment. Much of the proposed area is now clothed in forest, through which flows the beautiful and navigable Green River and its branch, the Nolin River.

All this offers exceptional opportunity for developing a great national recreational park of outstanding service in the very heart of our Nation's densest population and at a time when the need is increasingly urgent and most inadequately provided for.

Your commission has carefully investigated the above-recommended areas, with a view of selecting on the ground the most suitable boundaries or limits of purchase area for the proposed parks. Your commission, through the cooperation of the Army Air Service, obtained airplane photographs of the Shenandoah and Smoky Mountain park areas, and these photographs proved to be a great help in determining suitable boundaries.

In accordance with your instructions, the associations and organizations in the States in which these national park areas are located were informed that the lands within the areas must be presented to the United States Government in fee simple before such areas could become national parks. On May 27, 1925, identical letters were addressed by the commission to the leading groups in these States, suggesting that they definitely organize to carry out the requirements of the commission and stating further that "to facilitate this work the commission considers it necessary that an organization state-wide în scope be incorporated to act for the citizens and organizations of such State for the purpose of centralizing their efforts; * and in order that it may be custodian of moneys, lands, and options for the purchase of lands within the proposed park areas to be held in trust for park purposes." In compliance with the suggestions of the commission the following organizations were incorporated: In Virginia the Shenandoah National Park Association (Inc.); in Tennessee the Great Smoky Mountains Conservation Association;

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