March 10, 1919 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



21 



Lumber Market in South Europe 



The countries of southern Europe, together with some of the 

 northern states of Africa, will require from six to ten billion feet 

 of yellow pine and hardwood lumber for reconstruction and indus- 

 trial purposes each year for the next five years and, owing to the 

 peculiar conditions affecting the supply and marketing of lumber 

 native to the countries which supplied the pre-war demand for lum- 

 ber in these countries, the biggest part of these jirospective needs 

 must come from America. 



This was the message brought to the Lumbermen's Club of Mem- 

 phis, Tenn., and its guests, the members of the American Hardwood 

 Lumber Manufacturers' Association, March 1, by Nelson C. Brown, 

 trade commissioner, U. S. Department of Commerce, Washington, 

 who gave first hand information regarding lumber conditions and 

 lumber needs in these countries gathered during a period of more 

 than a year. Before concluding his address he urged that this was 

 an exceptionally rich field for American lumber interests and that 

 the best method of taking advantage of this situation, in his opinion, 

 was through the formation of a single, big, comprehensive export 

 selling organization "that would make it possible to take care of 

 the collective buying now in vogue in Europe and that would, at 

 the same time, enable American industry to present a solid front 

 in Europe in the case of lumber just as in the case of copper, steel, 

 iron and other commodities." 



Among the more important statements made by Mr. Brown were: 



Portugal, Spain, Italy, the Balkan States, and the northern countries 

 of Africa, are important consumers of lumber. There is a population in 

 this territory of 100,000,000 people and the area Is equivalent to about 

 one-half of that in tliis country. It is estimated that this region alone 

 will require from six to ten billion feet, board measure, each year for the 

 first five years at least following the resumption of normal conditions. 



Throughout this area there has been woeful lack of knowledge regard- 

 ing American lumber and throughout the Investigation there was consider- 

 able interest evinced in the possibilities of securing American lumber not 

 only for reconstruction purposes but also for general building activities 

 which have ceased absolutely for a period of over four years. 



There will be an especially strong market for hardwoods for the reason 

 that the domestic supply in all of these countries under normal conditions 

 was made up largely of hardwoods and, with the native forests cut off 

 completely for war and other purposes, this great deficiency must be made 

 up from foreign sources. 



Japan was just beginning to exploit its white oak in the Italian market 

 where there was every opportunity for promoting the sale of white oak 

 and a number of other hardwoods. The following figures show the total 

 lumber exports from Japan and the quantity going to each of the coun- 

 tries of Europe: Total, 250,000,000 feet; to Great Britain, 7,420,000 

 feet ; to Italy, 240,000 ; to Germany, 7,410,000 ; to Belgium, 18,000,000. 



I believe there will be a very large demand for both hardwoods and 

 softwoods from these countries for the following reasons : 



These countries have been practically without lumlier imports for a 

 period of over four years. Whatever lumber was imported was used 

 directly for war purposes. In 1918 white oak lumber brought anywhere 

 from $300 to $500 per thousand. Red gum and other species of American 

 lumber disappeared entirely from the market. Those fortunate enough to 

 have stocks on hand on the outbreak of the war held their stocks and 

 conunanded almost any price asked. 



Native forests were practically destroyed. It is very evident that, with 

 lumber imports shut off and an unusually strong demand for lumber for 

 war purposes, native forests in all these countries suffered greatly. In 

 normal times Italy supplied about 300.000,000 feet of hardwoods from its 

 native forests and Spain about 150,000,000 feet. This consisted largely 

 of native red and white oaks, with some beech, poplar and ash and a 

 great variety of other hardwoods. Practically all this was slashed off 

 and used for the support of the army of 5,000,000 in Italy. In the case 

 of Spain, it was used for local purposes or sent to the allied nations. 

 The American army alone contracted for more than 400,000 crossties 

 from Spain. Italy even sent lumber for war purposes to Egypt, Palestine 

 and the Balkan front. To further aggravate the situation, demand tor 

 wood for fuel led to heavy cutting of whatever forests remained in these 

 countries. Spain. Italy and Greece are without coal and it brought from 

 $80 to $160 per ton. As a result it was used very little. Fine young 

 growing forests, even roadside trees and olive and cork tree.s were cut for 

 fuel. In Italy the so-called national parks were denuded of their timber 

 to supply the urgent demand. Timber previously considered inaccessible 

 was hauled 20 to 30 miles on motor trucks. 



Demands for reconstruction will be unusual. It is estimated that in 

 Italy demand for lumber for reconstruction alone will exceed the total 

 imoorted under normal conditions. 



Russia, the great lumber exporting country heretofore, will be out of 

 consideration for a period of at least five to ten years because of com- 

 plete economic and political prostration. Furthermore Austria, a hereto- 

 fore important exporting country, will have serious domestic difficulties 



of her own to meet and will be unable to e.\port the quantities of lumber 

 she formerly sent to Mediterranean countries. 



It is probably not stretching the truth to say that American red gum 

 is better known both by the lumber trade and the public at large in Spain 

 and Italy than in this country. It is considered a cabinet wood, par 

 excellence, and is placed in the same category with mahogany and the 

 local or native walnut, which are considered with great favor. The out- 

 standing qualities of red gum, which command such high esteem from 

 European buyers, are its attractive figure, pleasing grain and its work- 

 ability, combined with its relative cheapness in price. 



Owing to the cutting off of the native white oak, American white oak, 

 as well as red oak, should And large markets throughout this section. 

 The output of Slavonian white oak is very limited and its exceedingly 

 high price has made its adoption in these countries almost out of the 

 question except for the very highest purposes of utilization. Already 

 .\nierican red gum has driven Austrian white oak and beech very largely 

 out of the Spanish market. There is a long-standing prejudice against 

 red oak in this group of countries. This is due largely to the fact that 

 local red oak is of exceedingly poor quality. Many consumers and users 

 were amazed to learn that we use red oak in this country for practically 

 all purposes for which white oak is used and that the former brings almost 

 the same price as the latter. It Is merely another evidence of the fact 

 that the European market has not been exploited generally and developed 

 properly for the benefit of American lumber. 



Mr. Brown made it quite clear that the reconstruction needs in 

 Italy, the Balkans, Greece, the Roumanian border, northwestern 

 Russia and northeastern Germany would be quite heavy in com- 

 parison with those in France and Belgium and pointed out that, 

 prior to the first big reversal of Italian arms, the Italian front 

 alone was measurably longer than the entire western line from the 

 Swiss border to the North Sea. He pointed out that the war had 

 raged over these areas and that they were in the position of hav- 

 ing to rebuild towns, villages and cities and that they were also in 

 the position of having to rehabilitate their industries set back so 

 severely by the war. 



He did not believe there would be anything like as much lumber 

 used for the framework of houses in any of these European coun- 

 tries as in America but he was of the positive conviction that 

 "large quantities of general construction lumber will be required 

 for flooring, framing, rafters, interior trim, doors, sash, blinds, 

 etc.," and that "large quantities of hardwoods will be used for 

 flooring, doors, interior trim, car construction, shipbuilding, vehicle 

 and implement production and a number of other equally important 

 purposes." 



Expositions of American Lumber 



John D. Walker, U. S. lumber commission, who was sent to 

 England two years ago, recently wrote a letter to Secretary Comp- 

 ton of the National Lumber Manufacturers' Association, telling 

 of steps he has taken to place American lumber before buyers in 

 Belgium, France, and the British Isles. Mr. Walker is closing up 

 his work abroad and is about to return to America and he is leav- 

 ing these exhibits in the three countries as perpetual reminders 

 and advertisements of American lumber. Each is to be in charge 

 of a competent man. 



One exhibit will be established in Brussels, one in Paris, and one 

 in London. Exposition room has been secured by renting or other- 

 wise, and American firms have been offered space in which to 

 show their special woods, at a yearly rental little more than nom- 

 inal. In that way each man or firm can make such showing as he 

 thinks proper, and will thus have a sort of headquarters in each 

 of the three countries, if he sees fit to take space in each of the 

 three exhibits. 



The polished surface of some woods feels cold to the touch, others 

 appear warm; yet, the thermometer can detect no difference in their 

 temperatures. The difference in the apparent coldness is due to the 

 greater heat-conducting power of one over the other. The best 

 conductor feels coldest. 



