584 Forestry Quarterly 



still importing one-third of the amount of her timber consump- 

 tion? 



Although the Chinese people are noted for intensive farming, 

 they have allowed vast amounts of cleared but untillable land to 

 be idle, especially on barren slopes and hills. From the topo- 

 graphical configuration of the country, the area of such land is 

 easily double that of the tillable land. It is here that the reboise- 

 ment work should eventually concentrate. 



Altogether the physical condition of the country is, with the 

 exception of the outlying territories, generally favorable for tree 

 growth. But centuries of ignorance and misuse have reduced 

 most of the once forested area to the present treeless condition. 

 The demand of timber to meet various industrial developments is 

 already great and is growing greater every day. Nothing but a 

 vigorous policy of reforestation initiated by the government, 

 can save the country from industrial dependence on foreign 

 sources of timber supply. 



Governmental Conditions. 



As already indicated in the Introduction, one of the principal 

 causes of deforestation in China is the laissez faire policy main- 

 tained by the central government. To keep the country at peace 

 and to allow the people to manage things in their own way so that 

 the throne might not be endangered by uprisings was the main 

 object of the government. Promotive and police functions were 

 seldom exercised by the government except in case of necessity. 

 The people were so accustomed to the laissez faire policy that 

 they looked upon government initiative and promotive measures 

 with great disapproval. It is really no exaggeration to say that 

 the attempt, a good attempt withal, made by the Manchu govern- 

 ment to nationalize all railroads was met with such opposition that 

 it started the revolution of 1911. 



Since the establishment of the Republic and through the ex- 

 perience of much hardship, the country has gradually come to 

 realize that the government interest is nothing more than the com- 

 posite interest of all the people, and that, in order to enjoy and 

 insure this collective interest, each individual must sacrifice a por- 

 tion of his own. State interference is permissible in so far as it 



