FORESTERS IN WORLD'S LARGEST REGIMENT 



651 



come by American forest regiments and engineers. 

 Canada has already sent more than 10,000 men overseas 

 in forest battalions and additional large numbers who 

 had already crossed with the army have been organized 

 into forest companies. 



Recruiting of the 20th Engineers (Forest) has been 

 going on throughout the country. Listing offices were 

 established in each state to receive applications for en- 

 listment from men willing to take service in the regiment. 

 These listing offices were in addition to the regular army 

 recruiting offices, through all of which applications are 

 received. As rapidly as accepted and enlisted for service 

 in the regiment the men were gathered at the American 

 University in the District of Columbia, on the campus of 

 which institution the regimental camp is located. In 

 this camp they are immediately placed under military dis- 

 cipline and training, with a routine of daily work calcu- 

 lated to put them into trim for organized work as soon 

 as they reach their destination in Europe. In addition to 

 the men received through the various listing offices and 

 recruiting stations the roster included a large numbe! 

 of men from the drafted army. At the various encamp- 

 ments of the National Army men who are found to have 

 had woods and lumber experience are detailed to the for- 

 est regiment and this will doubtless continue to be an 

 important factor in quickly filling the ranks of the or- 

 ganization. 



For the new regiment three hundred and nine commis- 

 sioned officers are required. These officers are men of 

 technical training in various lines. Two-thirds of them 



NOT MUCH SUGGESTION OF WAR HERE 



Skidding logs is the same thing, whether in a peaceful western logging 

 camp or in the war zone. These men are operating on the western front 

 in France and the timbers are used in trench building and other forms of 

 defense construction. 



HOUSING THE FOREST REGI.MENT 



The type of barracks in which the men live at American University while 

 undergoing the necessary training before being shipped to France to work 

 in the forests of that country. 



are practical lumbermen or sawmill operators and one- 

 third technical foresters with long woods experience. In 

 the selection of these officers the Forest Service had the 

 co-operation of fourteen committees of lumbermen rep- 

 resenting districts throughout the country. These nomina- 

 ting committees included some of the best-known lum- 

 bermen in the United States. Almost every man se- 

 lected was interviewed by a lumberman's committee or 

 by the Forest Service officials. Many private foresters 

 and forest schools assisted in finding technical men suit- 

 able for appointment and it is declared that all the men 

 selected have proved by experience their qualities of lead- 

 ership and their ability to handle men in large numbers. 



The age limits set at the beginning of the undertaking 

 required that all officers of the forest battalions should 

 be not less than 31 years of age. Because of the difficulty 

 of finding enough men suitable for lieutenants the age 

 limit was later lowered to 25. The bulk of the men rec- 

 ommended for lieutenancies range in age from 25 to 35, 

 as captains from 30 to 40 and as majors from 40 to 50. 

 The men who have been recommended have been notified 

 that all further steps, as to physical examination, the is- 

 suance of commissions and the order in which successful 

 applicants will be called for service, rest with the War 

 Department. Not all of the men accepted will be called 

 into service at once. In order to provide for future con- 

 tingencies it was decided to commission at the present 

 time enough officers to care for the other battalions yet 

 to be raised. 



Late additions to the roster of officers of the 20th Engi- 

 neers (Forest) were announced as follows: 



Resimental Headquarters— Major E. H. Marks, acting lieu- 

 tenant colonel; Lieut, J. W. HerbeU, veterinary detachment; First 

 Lieut. C. W. Smith, chaplain. 



First Battalion Headquarters— First Lieut, R. B. Hill, medical 

 officer; First Lieut. R. F. Roudybush, dental officer. 



First Battalion (Company B)— Capt. C. B. Cutting, command- 

 ing; Second Lieut. C. B. Bradley. 



