BELGIUM'S FORESTS BLIGHTED BY THE HUN 



1253 



A WOODLAND NEAR MERCKEN IN BELGIUM, SHOWING THE REMAINS OF WHAT WAS ONCE A ROAD RUNNING THROUGH 

 THE MIDDLE OF THE PHOTOGRAPH. WOODLANDS IN THE DISTANCE WERE SAVED DOUBTLESS BECAUSE IT WAS TOO 

 DIFFICULT TO GET OUT THE TIMBER. 



The effect of this protest may readily be guessed. Von 

 Bissing, in a brief note, replied that the explanations 

 could not induce him to revoke or modify the measures 

 taken, and added that the cuttings were on so small an 

 area that "it is impossible for any of the injuries which 

 you fear to occur." The Forestry Society comment 

 on this was : 



"Let us merely say that it is a wonder that its author 

 did not say that not only have we no injury to fear but 

 that these cuttings were ordered in the interests of our 



people and of our forests." The Belgians, still brave, still 

 hopeful, still deeply concerned, endeavored by submitting 

 forceful statistics on the situation to Von Bissing to 

 secure some modification of the campaign of destruc- 

 tion. This was sent him : 



"We see there that the total area of indeciduous forest 

 in the kingdom is 424,150 acres, divided into 138,685 

 acres under the forestry administration and 285,465 

 acres belonging to private parties. 



"The sale price of the exhaustive cuttings in the inde- 



LE BOIS DES LUPINS. NEAR BOESINGHE. BELGIUM, SHOWING THE EFFECT OF HEAVY SHELLFIRE ON THE GROUND AND 

 ON THE TREES. SUCH DAMAGE EXISTS FOR A WIDE AREA IN THIS SECTION. 



