The American Museum Journal 



VUMMK XVI II 



OCTUHKK, l!)iy 



Nl'Mbek 



Our American Forest Engineers in France 



Hy L T E r T K X A X T COLO X K L II K X K' V S. (i |{ A V K S 



Chief Korcstcr, I'nitrd States ])ei)ai-tiiirii( of A-rirullure 



FOl^ESTIiV is ))layiiig an iiiipnr- 

 tant ]»ai1 in the great World 

 \\';\v. The vast re(|iiii'enients of 

 the army for hiniher and other forest 

 products arc phieiiiii" a critical Ijurdcn 

 on the f(n"ests of tliis country and of 

 our Allies in Eurofie : and foresters and 

 luiiilicnuen are called u[>on for the 

 highest skill to produce the needed ma- 

 terials promptly and in aderpiate quan- 

 tities. For the first time in history 

 forestry regiments have been organized 

 as a part of the army, to extract the 

 raw material from the forests and to 

 manufacture it in Government mills. It 

 is a new thing for soldiers to carry on 

 logging operations and to rnn sawmills. 

 It is a new thing for soldiers to be prac- 

 ticing forestry. And yet this is exactly 

 what is being done in this country, in 

 (ireat Britain, and in France. 



We are accustomed in the United 

 States to a large production of lumljer 

 and other forest products. Our forest 

 resources are still very great; and the 

 first extensive demands for lumber for 

 ti'aining camps, for shi])building, for 

 boxes, for vclucle stock, for aeroplanes, 

 and a \ariciy of other war pui'poses, 

 was met liy the existing lumber indus- 

 try. e(|uip})ed as it is with many thou- 

 sand sawmills scattered throughout the 

 country. Later, that industry was un- 

 able adequately to meet the special de- 

 mand for aircraft material without 

 (iovernment help. IIow the army is 

 now handling the aircraft ]>roiluction 

 with organi7.e(l soldier bel)). how the 



American forests ai'e heing di-;i\vn upon 

 for war materials, how the foi'cst indus- 

 tries ai'c heing oi'gani/.cd to meet the 

 situation, and how the foresters are 

 doing their ]iart to furnish scientific 

 iiifoi'mation regarding the American 

 woods, is a se])arate stoi'v of keen inter- 

 est. 



This war has often been spoken of as 

 a war of engineering. Certain it is 

 that the swift movement of men, equij)- 

 ment, and supplies depends on engi- 

 neering skill of the highest character. 

 Much of the engineering work must be 

 constructed swiftly and it is often of a 

 temporary character. This means that 

 lundicr. i)iling, round logs, ])oles, as 

 well as small forest products, are re- 

 quired in great quantities by the armies 

 at the front. 



In the early part of the war the ar- 

 mies in France imported a great deal 

 of lumber from England, Scotland, the 

 Scandinavian countries, Eussia, Can- 

 ada, and the United States. To be sure, 

 the forests of France immediately be- 

 hind the lines were drawn upon heavily, 

 and the French lund:)er mills through- 

 out the country produced what they 

 could, although handicaiiped by short- 

 age of lal)or. VeiT early (ireat IJi'itain 

 was forced to cut hea\ily in the limited 

 forests of England and Scotland. 

 Owners of private estates ])atriotica]ly 

 sacrificed their woixllands and groves 

 to meet the needs of the armies, for 

 temporary structures at home, for the 

 war industries, and for the forces in 



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