“The State, as quasi-sovereign and representative of the interest of the public, has a standing in court to protect the atmosphere, the water and forests either in its territory, irrespective of the ascent or descent of the private owner of the land most immediately concerned.”
I am deeply convinced that the conscientious scruples of a great many of our eminent legislators and loyal men in accepting this doctrine lie only in the fact that they are always busy with something else, never dedicating themselves to any serious study of the forests in their relations to life and the progress of countries; they have never considered that, on account of such relation, the sacred rights of humanity, the life of our children and future generations require a direct and immediate protection for the trees, which protection is undoubtedly a measure of public safety. And really such a protection is as important as any other measure that may prevent the invasion and spread of some epidemic disease.
To the 4th Latin-American Congress I moved that all possible effort should be made to have Brazil and all nations represented at the congress accept the proposition that is found in my address of forests last year, which proposition I write now as follows:
“Preservation of forests in many ways necessary, must be considered as a measure of public safety and it is of urgent necessity to maintain the permanency and abundance not only of the stream flow, but, of the underground waters.”[1]
This proposition, ladies and gentlemen, will do some good for our forests when thoroughly accepted in the countries where the question of right of property has been an obstacle to the protection laws for saving the trees on the private lands.
I make an appeal to you, gentlemen, of all different nations here represented to bring with you the ideas contained in this paper whose value lies only on the strong conviction with which I wrote it.
Let us be united all over the world in this great and noblest campaign for the life of mankind, for the life of our own children, the water, the pure air, the shade of relief of fatigue, the timber, in resume, the life itself. Let us profit by the great lessons of Gifford Pinchot, accepting the wise advice of greatest men of the past and present generations. And may this alarm-cry arouse the energies of the present for the solution of the great problem of the future.
MEANS ADVISED TO PREVENT THE CUTTING OF FORESTS IN BRAZIL.
After the approbation of the proposition contained in the first part of my address considering the protection of the forests as a measure of public safety, we must have some restriction from the states in regard to the use of the generative land of courses, establishing the protective areas, even approximately, according to the good sense, putting them under a provisory police of the tax collectors and the patriotism of the people, until we can get the resources for a most effective police.
We must get annually from the Federal Congress some appropriation, however small, to start the National Forestry Reservation at the head of the great and navigable rivers, progressively enlarging such reservation until it has a sufficient extension.