604 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



enforcement of State forest policy or legislation, such, for example, as 

 questions relating to methods of forest protection and perpetuation. 



COMMENT 



This program may be taken, no doubt, as the lumbermen's plan for 

 perpetuating the forest resources of the Nation, resources which are 

 largely owned by the lumbermen themselves. The most important part 

 of this plan is the following paragraph : 



"It is recognized that both national and industrial welfare demand 

 early development of an American forest policy which shall substitute 

 for indifference or accident an intelligent, practical, equitable and con- 

 certed program for the perpetuation of forest supplies." 



When we compare this statement with the absolute indifference to 

 and frequent hostility toward the perpetuation of forest resources 

 heretofore shown by the lumber industry, it means a revolutionary 

 change of attitude on the subject. Hardly more than a year ago 

 lumbermen as a class were ridiculing or belittling the attempts of 

 foresters to impress upon the public the seriousness of the forest 

 situation. They both denied the emergency and disclaimed all responsi- 

 bility. They have now completely reversed their stand, openly recog- 

 nizing the need for a national forest policy and admitting that the 

 lumber industry itself is directly concerned in the application of better 

 forest management. This is progress, indeed. 



It is perfectly natural that lumbermen, at least for the present, should 

 hesitate to approve any program aimed at real accomplishment. We 

 must not overlook the all important fact that the public, not the lumber- 

 men, will decide what to do, and do it. Bearing this in mind, it is but 

 natural that the lumbermen's program should lack those points quite 

 essential to real accomplishment. Why should the lumber or any other 

 industry suggest or accept regulation until public pressure makes it 

 unavoidable? Here is an industry which, seeing that it is bound to 

 be put under control, is beginning to fight for just as little control as 

 possible, and the Association's program should be interpreted with 

 that fact in view. 



A casual reading of this plan gives one the impression that it agrees 

 with the plan of the Forest Service. When more carefully considered, 

 however, it is clear that it does nothing of the sort. It makes a prom- 

 ising gesture, and then sinks into the realm of harmless generalities. 



Under Federal legislation it follows the Forest Service and the 

 American Paper and Pulp Association in recommending an annual 



