TROPICAL FORESTS AND THE WAR 513 



American countries, vvitli the exception of the interiors, very little lum- 

 ber is used in the construction of buildings of any kind. 



What happens when a tropical country awakens from its business 

 Jethargy and begins to develop its natural resources ? In the first place, 

 it finds itself without sufficient lumber products of all kinds, especially 

 cheaper general construction timbers, to meet the demands. Take the 

 Philippine Islands, for example. With the introduction of a stable 

 government the development of the country proceeded at a rapid pace. 

 Construction work of all sorts began without sufficient lumber to sup- 

 ply it. This demand was met by importations of Oregon pine (Douglas 

 fir ) from the United States. Exploration work showed that the forests 

 contained light construction hardwoods in enormous amounts mixed 

 with less amounts of heavier but non-durable timbers for heavier con- 

 struction work and heavy durable timbers for construction work where 

 contact with the ground was necessary. Moreover, the forests were 

 found to be in heavy stands. These three classes of timber, known 

 respectively as lauans, apitongs, and yacals, were found to be good sub- 

 stitutes for all classes of construction work for which Oregon pine was 

 used. For a few classes of work they were poorer substitutes, but still 

 could be used, and for many they were better. The Philippine Govern- 

 ment, recognizing the conditions, encouraged the lumbermen by grant- 

 ing large concessions for a period of 20 years to enable them to raise 

 sufficient capital for the introduction of modern milling and logging 

 machinery and to build logging railroads. The difficulties of these 

 pioneer lumbermen read like a romance. Starting with little capital, 

 and in some instances with little or no knowledge of logging, they had 

 to overcome great odds. Many of them failed. Others, by persistent 

 efforts, solved the problems of getting labor and of teaching it to handle 

 machinery. Then, too, there were difficulties of sawing new kinds of 

 woods and transportation of the lumber to the markets. Many of the 

 mills when installed were found not to have sufficient horsepower to 

 handle tlie timbers, and such liad to be replaced. In one instance loco- 

 motives and light steel rails from an old railway had to be replaced 

 with a better eciuipment. These and other difficulties were surmounted. 

 In the meantime native lumber began to come on the masket in larger 

 <|uaMlitics. Many .American contractors refused at first to handle it 

 because they were not acoust<inied to it. Small Chinese contractors 

 who had been used to whipsawn boards half an inch or less in thickness 

 were reluctant to accept lumber an inch tiiick that was sized, trimmed, 

 and edged. The prejudices of the East and the West had to be broken 

 down. In the lumbermen's campaign to accomplish this, great aid 



