EDITORIAL COMMENT 



Forestry after the War 



What effect will the war have upon forestry ? 



As every one knows, the forests are playing a strikingly prominent 

 part in the prosecution of the war. In this age of coal and iron, wood 

 is being sought more eagerly and used more extensively than ever 

 before. In the trenches, on the road, in the air, in the shipyard, in the 

 munition factory and chemical laboratory, in the building of canton- 

 ments, and in the fireplace at home, wood has become a dominant factor. 



In countries with limited forest areas, such as England, France, and 

 even in neutral countries like Switzerland, Sweden, and Norway, the 

 war-time demand for wood has made deep inroads into timber resources. 

 It has also disorganized, if not depleted, the forests of the Central 

 Powers. 



This demand for wood is not going to decline with the termination 

 of the war. The reconstruction of the devastated portions of France 

 and Belgium, the rebuilding of the peace industries, will call for vast 

 quantities. The United States, Canada, and Russia, still possessing 

 vast forests, will have to meet this world's shortage in timber. 



What deductions suggest themselves as a result of these outstanding 

 facts ? 



The long-delayed plans for extensive reforestation in England will 

 now become a reality. 



France and Belgium will feverishly begin the upbuilding of their 

 depleted or disorganized forests. 



The heavy cuttings in Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland, induced 

 by the high prices paid for timber by the belligerent nations, will be 

 restricted and the remaining diminished supplies will be husbanded 

 with greater care. Switzerland, fearing the depletion of its privately 

 owned forests, has already placed stringent regulations for the cutting 

 of timber during the war. These restrictions will unquestionably be- 

 come permanent. 



It is only reasonable to expect that a similar policy will be adopted 

 with regard to the forests of our own country. A resource which 

 promises to prove a decisive one in winning the war will never again 

 be allowed to be destroyed or devastated. Our army and navy, which 



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