JOBS FOR RETURNING LUMBERMEN AND 



FORESTERS 



T 



^HE Welfare Fund for Lumbermen and Foresters 

 in War Service has undertaken the task of aiding 

 lumbermen and foresters released from war service 

 to secure positions. Tfie lumber organizations, the lum- 

 ber trade papers, lumber companies and the American 

 Forestry Association are aiding in this work. 



Applications on sheets similar to the one on the next 

 page are now being received by the American Forestry 

 Association and forwarded by the Welfare Fund Com- 

 mittee to lumber organizations and lumbermen through- 

 out the United States who will communicate directly 

 with the men desiring the jobs. 



Any men who wish aid in getting jobs and have not 

 yet filed applications may do so now on the application 

 blank printed on the next page. 



Lieut. -Col. W. B. Greeley, of the 20th, in writing from 

 France under date of April 26, 1919, to Percival S. 

 Ridsdale, treasurer of the Welfare Fund, says : 



"The officers of the 20th Engineers have been con- 

 sidering the question of assisting our returning soldiers 

 to obtain employment in the United States. The policy 

 of the American Expeditionary Forces to evacuate the 

 troops in France rapidly during May and June has made 

 it necessary to act promptly in this matter ; and we have 

 accordingly put the following plan into effect. Each 

 company commander of the 20th Engineers and attached 

 Service Troops will be sent a supply of printed forms. 

 The company commanders have been requested to have 

 such forms tilled out by any men in their command who 

 desire assistance, to append their own estimate of the 

 soldiers qualifications and character, and to mail the 

 applications direct to the American Forestry Association, 

 Washington, D. C. The time limits have made it neces- 

 sary to put this scheme into effect without waiting for 

 prior consultation with yourself or with the lumber 

 organizations who are interested; but I feel that any 

 plan to aid returning soldiers in this manner must begin 

 with specific data on individual cases. 



"All of the units of technical white troops, including 

 the road battalions, which have been employed on for- 

 estry work in France and have not previously returned 

 to the United States are to be released during the month 

 of May; and may be expected to arrive in the United 

 States roughly between May 20 and July i. These units 

 comprise approximately 9,700 men. Eight hundred negro 

 Engineer Service Troops which have been employed upon 

 forestry operations will also probably arrive in the United 

 States between May 20 and July i. The remaining negro 

 Engineer Service Troops in France, aggregating about 

 5,600 men, will probably arrive in the United States 



between June 20 and August i. Several of the bat- 

 talion commanders estimate that approximately 50 per 

 cent of their men will desire assistance in obtaining 

 employment. 



"I fully appreciate that the plan which I have taken the 

 liberty to initiate and the suggestion contained in this 

 letter represent a large volume of work for the friends 

 of the forestry troops in the United States. It is my 

 strong conviction, however, that no greater service can 

 be rendered to these men in recognition of the sacrifices 

 which many of them have made in coming to France 

 than to assist them in finding suitable employment under 

 some such scheme as that indicated. 1 also feel that the 

 large sums subscribed for welfare work for the forestry 

 troops could not be expended to any better advantage. 

 Imrthermore, the forest industries at home have an in- 

 terest of their own in getting in touch with a large pro- 

 portion of these men. Our troops have been employed 

 continuously upon industrial operations in France, under 

 conditions which have tended to develop their technical 

 skill and their resourcefulness to a high degree. Many 

 of them have developed mechanical ability as null saw- 

 yers, saw filers, motor truck drivers and mechanics, engi- 

 neers and loggers which they did not have when they 

 entered the army. Others have become capable teamsters, 

 capable men on logging railroads, and the like. Many 

 of them have profited greatly by the discipline and sense 

 of organization developed in military service. These 

 men represent, in the aggregate, an enormous economic 

 asset to the United States and especially to the forest 

 industries. It will be, in my judgment, of the utmost 

 mutual advantage to men securing employment and to 

 employers to do everything possible to get these return- 

 ing soldiers placed so that their individual abilities can 

 be put to the most productive use. 



"I have also requested the company commanders to 

 send to you direct statements concerning such cases 

 as they may have where they feel that financial assistance 

 should be extended to returning forestry soldiers on ac- 

 count of family distress, physical disability, or other 

 good reasons, with their own recommendations as to what 

 should be done. I do not anticipate that there will be 

 many cases of this character. The majority of our men 

 are in better condition physically than when they entered 

 the army; and they have been spared the disabilities in- 

 curred by combat units. There will undoubtedly be many 

 cases of physical disability among lumbermen who en- 

 listed in combat units, but I know of no way to get in 

 touch with these cases except through the receiving hos- 

 pitals of the army in the United States." 



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