ORGANIZING COMMITTEE 
HAROLD C. ANDERSON 
HARVEY BROOME 
BERNARD FRANK           THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY 
ALDO LEOPOLD 
BENTON MACKAYE 
ROBERT MARSHALL                                                       1840
MINTWOOD PLACE, 
ERNEST C. OBERHOLTZER                                                   WASHINGTON,
D. C. 
ROBERT STERLING YARD 
  SECR-rARY-TREASURER              December 30, 1935. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
             Doctor Aldo Leopold, 
             1532 University Avenue, 
             'Madison, ;:Wisconsin. 
 
             My dear Leopold: 
 
                  Thank you for a copy of your letter to Herbert Smith. I

             am much interested in your attitude toward his editorial on

             wilderness as a cult. I heartily agree with both your and Lr-

             shall's slants. 
 
                  One of my own criticisms has to do vith the motive behind

             the article, ivhich was confessedly to stir up a controversy
to 
             advertise the magazine. Its contention that we are faddists,

             is the only doubt cast upon the seriousnesss and importance
of 
             wilderness preservation. That the Society of American Foresters

             should be the one to utter it not only hurts but cannot fail
to 
             slow the rising interest of foresters. Vre had the right to
ex- 
             pect cooperation there, if anywhere. 
 
                  This is the second att ck. Last month the Journal attrib-

             uted the rapid total decline in wilderness solely to popular

             use and predicted a speedy disappearance of the balance, ignor-

             ing entirely the tremendous impetus given it by the national

             administrative activities of CCC operatives and unlimited funds

             for pleasure roads into any woodland anywhere. I was besought

             to answer it for the purpose of "getting up a controversy
in 
             the Journal". I wouldn't because it was not a debatable
ques- 
             tion. The Journal ought to correct its own errors of histor-

             ical fact. I resented this opposition and said so. 
 
                  Then comes the charge that wilderness protection is a mere

             fad. I refuse to help with a controversy over that, either.

             'Mat next? 
 
                  I have made the point that, if these attacks were made

             under Herbert Smith's name, I should make no objection. Made

             editorially, they become the voice of the Society of American

             Foresters. I shall say nothing of this outside of our eight.

             Nothing can be done about it. 
 
                                           Sincerely, 
 
 
             .RSY:E