TROPICAL FORESTS AND THE WAR 519 



ica, including southern Mexico, and those of Africa. I have outlined 

 above the largest virgin forest regions of the tropics. I have purposely 

 omitted India proper, for the areas of virgin forests in India are com- 

 paratively small. Those of Burma, which contain the largest virgin 

 or nearly virgin areas in British India, have been included in the dip- 

 terocarp region. 



I think all estimates given above, even that of the United States, are 

 under, rather than over, the actual amount of standing timber. When 

 availability is concerned, there is no doubt that, because of transporta- 

 tion facilities and for the reason that the lumber industry is incompara- 

 bly better developed than in any of the other regions discussed, the 

 I'nited States will continue to furnish even larger su])plies than it is 

 doing now. 



But what effect will such a drive at production have on the future 

 supplies of home-grown timber in the United States? The greatest 

 producing center today is in the southern yellow-pine region. It is 

 already greatly overcutting its annual increment. Yesterday it was in 

 the white-pine region of the Great Lakes, northeastern part of the 

 United States, and adjacent parts of Canada. This region is being 

 combed now of its remaining stands of the original capital. Tomorrow 

 it will shift to the Pacific Northwest, where the cut is already approach- 

 ing the annual increment and where the available stands are yearly 

 getting farther and farther from tide water. It will only too soon 

 reach and pass its annual increment, and then our last existing forest 

 capital will be drawn upon. Day after tomorrow we will still be called 

 upon to furnish immense quantities of timber (i) to rehabilitate our 

 now lagging wood-using, non-war industries, and many war industries 

 (such as railroads) (2) to furnish supplies to our Allies in Europe and 

 (3 ) to furnish supplies to the rest of the world. There is no doubt that, 

 unrestricted, our lumber industry could meet the situation, but at great 

 cost to our forest capital, and es])ecially that part of it in the Eastern 

 United States, the jwrtion that is of greaest value to us. Far-sighted 

 men are already suggesting the advisability of a post-war restriction on 

 exporting lumber. It is estimated that in normal times not over 10 per 

 cent of our cut is exported. This amounts to approximately four bil- 

 lion feet. As stated above, the amount that goes from North America 

 and Euro])e to tropical countries, China, and south temi)crate countries 

 is approximately two billion feet, of which probably more than one and 

 a half billion feet is from the United States. Such a restriction, if it is 

 not I)rought about by go\ernment action, may come by lack of transpor- 

 tation. The efTcct would be to stimulate the production of lumber in 



