Well，ayearlateraCongressionalCommitteeactuallydidinvestigatethem。Theinvestigationwasinstigatedbysomeunscrupulouslocalpoliticiansandbysomesettlerswhowishedtoberelievedfrompayingtheirjustobligations；andthemembersoftheCommitteejoinedintheattackonasfineandhonorableasetofpublicservantsastheGovernmenthaseverhad；anattackmadeonthemsolelybecausetheywerehonorableandefficientandloyaltotheinterestsbothoftheGovernmentandthesettlers。
WhenIbecamePresident，theBureauofForestrysince1905theUnitedStatesForestServicewasasmallbutgrowingorganization，underGiffordPinchot，occupiedmainlywithlayingthefoundationofAmericanforestrybyscientificstudyoftheforests，andwiththepromotionofforestryonprivatelands。ItcontainedallthetrainedforestersintheGovernmentservice，buthadchargeofnopublictimberlandwhatsoever。TheGovernmentforestreservesofthatdaywereinthecareofaDivisionintheGeneralLandOffice，underthemanagementofclerkswhollywithoutknowledgeofforestry，fewifanyofwhomhadeverseenafootofthetimberlandsforwhichtheywereresponsible。Thusthereserveswereneitherwellprotectednorwellused。TherewerenoforestersamongthemenwhohadchargeoftheNationalForests，andnoGovernmentforestsinchargeoftheGovernmentforesters。
InmyfirstmessagetoCongressIstronglyrecommendedtheconsolidationoftheforestworkinthehandsofthetrainedmenoftheBureauofForestry。Thisrecommendationwasrepeatedinothermessages，butCongressdidnotgiveeffecttoituntilthreeyearslater。Inthemeantime，bythoroughstudyoftheWesternpublictimberlands，thegroundworkwaslaidfortheresponsibilitieswhichweretofallupontheBureauofForestrywhenthecareoftheNationalForestscametobetransferredtoit。ItwasevidentthattrainedAmericanForesterswouldbeneededinconsiderablenumbers，andaforestschoolwasestablishedatYaletosupplythem。
In1901，atmysuggestionasPresident，theSecretaryoftheInterior，Mr。Hitchcock，madeaformalrequestfortechnicaladvicefromtheBureauofForestryinhandlingtheNationalForests，andanextensiveexaminationoftheirconditionandneedswasaccordinglytakenup。ThesameyearastudywasbegunoftheproposedAppalachianNationalForest，theplanofwhich，alreadyformulatedatthattime，hassincebeencarriedout。AyearlaterexperimentalplantingontheNationalForestswasalsobegun，andstudiespreparatorytotheapplicationofpracticalforestrytotheIndianReservationswereundertaken。In1903，sorapidlydidthepublicworkoftheBureauofForestryincrease，thattheexaminationoflandfornewforestreserveswasaddedtothestudyofthosealreadycreated，theforestlandsofthevariousStateswerestudied，andcooperationwithseveralofthemintheexaminationandhandlingoftheirforestlandswasundertaken。
Whilethesepracticaltaskswerepushedforward，atechnicalknowledgeofAmericanForestswasrapidlyaccumulated。Thespecialknowledgegainedwasmadepublicinprintedbulletins；andatthesametimetheBureauundertook，throughthenewspaperandperiodicalpress，tomakeallthepeopleoftheUnitedStatesacquaintedwiththeneedsandthepurposesofpracticalforestry。ItisdoubtfulwhethertherehaseverbeenelsewhereundertheGovernmentsucheffectivepublicity——