18 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



Kaval Stores 

 Naval stores of considerable magnitude are exported by Americans 

 to the countries of southern Europe. The principal articles are tar, 

 pitch, rosin and spirits of turpentine from the yellow pine forests 

 of the south. In the Mediterranean markets the American exporter of 

 these commodities meets competition from France, Germany, Eussia 

 and Austria. During the continuance of the present war those coun- 

 tries vvUl have no naval stores to spare, and there should be an open- 

 ing for an increase of exports from America. The increase has not, 

 apparently, begun yet. Though these articles are called naval stores 

 they have little to do with ship building. The name has come down 

 from former times when tar and pitch were employed in calking 

 vessels and in waterproofing the ropes used in the rigging. Naval 

 stores are now largely used in the manufacture of paints and var- 

 nishes. The value of exports of tar, pitch and turpentine from the 

 tJnited States to those countries last year was as follows: 



Italy ?780,801 



Spain ■ ■ 90,208 



Azores and Madeira 3,583 



Portugal ."MS 



Turkey in Europe 323 



$875,2G8 



Asiatic Tukkey 



Turkey in Asia belongs geographically though not politically with 

 the Mediterranean countries of Europe. Whatever trade in Amer- 

 ican liunber may now reach that part of the Turkish empire must 

 pass through the Mediterranean sea. It ,is possible for Turkey to 

 import lumber by way of the Persian gulf, but little, if any, American 

 lumber has ever entered by that route. 



The value of our trade in lumber and kindred manufactured prod- 

 ucts with that region is now so small that it might be omitted without 

 much diminishing the totals; but, though small, it is an opening 

 wedge which may lead to better things in the future. Smyrna is 

 the principal port of entry for that region, though there are other 

 ports through which lumber might reach some portions of the in- 

 terior. Our exports of forest products to Turkey in Asia in 1913 are 

 set forth in the following figures: 



Commodity Value 



Square pine timber , , $ 50,509 



Agricultural implements 29,679 



Furniture 15,407 



Oak and red gum lumber 3,108 



Carriages 2,274 



Wheelbarrows 2,216 



Box shocks 1,596 



Woodenware 160 



Incubators 48 



Other manufactures of wood 14,971 



Total $119,968 



FuTUKE Prospects 



The sales of American forest products around the borders of the 

 Mediterranean sea have been only moderately large, considering the 

 population and resources of those regions. Opportunities seem fair 

 for increasing business in those countries. They have heretofore 

 obtained most of their lumber from eastern and northern Europe. 

 Some of it came from Eussia, some from Germany and Austria, and 

 other from Norway and Sweden. Austria, Germany and Eussia are 

 now at war and while hostUities continue very little timber will be 

 cut for export. Eussia has forbidden such exports. That order may 

 be revoked at any time; but even should that occur soon, it is a 

 safe guess that little wood from any part of the Eussian empire 

 will reach southern Europe while the war continues. It would take a 

 good prophet to tell how long that is likely to be. 



Norway and Sweden are at peace, and they are large timber 

 exporters; but the war has so greatly multiplied the difficulties in 

 the way of exporting wood from those countries, that an enormous 

 decline has taken place, and no immediate prospect appears for any- 

 thing better. The blow that struck Sweden and Norway hardest 

 was the placing by Germany of all wood, even for fuel, on the 

 contraband list. Any ship that sails from those countries with wood 

 on board is liable to seizure by German war vessels. Several ships 

 have already been stopped and turned back. The result has been that 



the export of all kinds of wood from the Scandinavian countries has 

 practically ceased. 



If that order by the German government should be revoked, great 

 difficulties would still lie in the way of exporting timber from Norway 

 and Sweden. The North Sea, through which the ships must pass, is- 

 covered with mines which make navigation dangerous. Several neutral 

 ships have been destroyed by these mines. 



Under such circumstances it is apparent that the supply of wood, 

 reaching southern Europe from the north will be small. The people- 

 of the Mediterranean countries will still need staves, boxes, and other 

 forest products in about the same quantities as before. America is 

 the natural source from which to draw these supplies. Austria 

 formerly sent oak staves for tight barrels. America is about the 

 only place where these can now be procured. The only woods which. 

 Sweden and Norway have for export purposes are pine and spruce. 

 These have gone to southern Europe in large amounts for boxes in 

 which to ship raisins from Spain, Greece, and Syria, oranges and 

 lemons from Italy, Spain, and Portugal, and figs from Smyrna. 

 Boxes for shipping cloth, small statuary, and hundreds of articles- 

 made in those southern countries for export, have been largely made 

 of pine and spruce from the forests of Norway and Sweden. 



While northern Europe is temporarily unable to continue that 

 supply, the American exporters will be missing an opportunity if they 

 do not push their lumber into the Mediterranean markets. Possession 

 is a powerful leverage in trade. If a foothold is once obtained in 

 that market, it should be easy to win permanent advantage. 

 Looking Ahead 



Although many people have opinions on the subject, yet no man 

 can now tell the final result of the deplorable war which is devas- 

 tating so much of Europe and destroying hundreds of thousands of 

 the best men of the warring countries. No one, however, should! 

 suppose for a moment that such wholesale destruction will improve- 

 business generally. Depression is bound to follow and affect business 

 for years to come. America cannot expect to escape the depression, 

 entirely; but our position is fortunate, and we should be prepared 

 to make the most of it. Our lumber exporters will be iii a position 

 to occupy every market made vacant by the withdrawal of former 

 competitors. The time to act is now, rather than after the war 

 is over. 



Our government, acting through the Bureau of Foreign and Domes- 

 tic Commerce, Washington, D. C, is prepared to supply valuable- 

 information to business men on the subject of foreign openings for 

 trade. By keeping close watch upon trade opportunities in the lumber 

 Une, and acting vigorously, the present seems an opportune time t<y 

 begin a campaign to increase our exports of forest products to the- 

 south of Europe. Greece, for example, bought sixty per cent of its 

 timber from Austria before the war, but is getting none from that 

 source now. In that one item alone there is trade worth nearly 

 .$2,000,000 a year to go somewhere else while Austria is out of thfr 

 running; and it should come to America. It is the same in Italy, 

 Spain, Portugal, and in the Balkan states. Timber trade worth 

 millions of dollars has been turned from its old channels, and the 

 United States should get most of it, and now is the time to go- 

 after it. 



There is little doubt that the war wUl change the boundaries of 

 some of the European countries, but it is yet too early to say how 

 and where the new boundaries wiU run, or what they will include or 

 exclude. The political and geographical results will not make material 

 difference so far as our timber trade with the countries are con- 

 cerned. The demand for wood will not be much affected by political 

 changes in government or geographical changes in boundaries. 

 In Asia Minor 

 The case is quite different in passing from Europe to Asia Minor. 

 Political changes there might make profound differences in the amount 

 of trade which American lumber exporters would be able to carry on. 

 Should the fortunes of war put progressive European nations in 

 control of the million square miles of territory between the Medi- 

 terranean sea and the Persian gulf, it would mean a market for 

 American forest products fifty or a hundred times greater than at 

 present, because development would begin, and the centuries of 



