SOCIETY AFFAIRS 209 



acted upon, especially in high places, namely, that it takes land and 

 time and effort to produce a log of oaks or spruce, and that no amount 

 of money and outfit can alter this or even shorten the time. 



As a real surprise came the fact that in' forestry we differ radically 

 from farming, and that Germany or France, for instance, while living 

 from hand to mouth in agriculture, had 20 and more years' living ahead 

 in timber. 



That a better appreciation and understanding of the lumber and tim- 

 ber industries has come to our people through this war will hardly be 

 questioned ; and the benefit of this better understanding should help the 

 people and the industry, and should make for a beginning in real for- 

 estry on millions of acres of our forest lands. 



The wonderful co-operation of State and private eft'ort developed 

 during this war has a far-reaching lesson for our people ; it has broken 

 down much of the old bonehead prejudice, the suspicion of business 

 against the State and its ability to do. and, on the other hand, it has 

 taught the State that if real work is to be done, it takes more than a 

 mob of mediocrity, even though "highly recommended by Senator Doe." 



But one of the greatest lessons which the war has taught, and most 

 important to forestry, is the fact that the State is infinitely more cap- 

 able than the private owner. We had this lesson in the Panama Canal, 

 but the people never seemed to appreciate it. "Why, yes ; the Govern- 

 ment did dig the canal ; but what of it? anybody with money could have 

 done it just as well." That this statement is not true and had already 

 been proven false, did not occur to them. 



But the war, with its army of millions ; its stupendous naval program ; 

 its food and fuel regulation ; its enormous manufacture and its coun- 

 try-wide wage adjustment; and, above all, its perfect success in every 

 single direction, this counted, and made our people realize its power 

 as a nation. Today the average citizen no longer says, as he did only a 

 few years ago : "Oh, well ; it is all politics ; the Government is incom- 

 petent and wasteful, never gets anything done, and always full of 

 graft," etc. 



To forestry, these lessons mean everything, and the outlook for real 

 forestry — for large programs, fearlessly planned and persistently car- 

 ried out — is better by far than it has ever been in our country. 



It should mean better support of our National Forest Service, espe- 

 cially more liberal appropriations, such that good men not merely enter, 

 but also stay, and that the people's property really receives protection 

 and that fires are actually prevented. 



It should mean State forestry of the kind where States like New 



