RUSSIA 97 



thing approaching correct, it will be apparent that 

 there is grave reason to fear that we shall witness 

 a permanent drop in the exports of some of the 

 chief suppliers of the North European timber markets 

 in the course of a few years, if not in a very near 

 future. Further, there is every appearance that the 

 disorganization of the Mediterranean and Near East 

 timber markets will not cease with the signing of 

 peace, but is likely to cause trouble for some time. 



Finally, we know that the demands for timber at 

 the peace for reconstruction purposes must prove 

 enormous. Where is all this material to come from ? 

 And with that problem settled, where are we going 

 to obtain our annual supplies from in the future, 

 supplies absolutely essential to our industries, as we 

 have learnt only too well during the past four years. 

 There must be a shortage in the markets from the 

 causes I have already explained, and we shall have 

 new competitors. 



The country which stands out in the above 

 enumerated list is Russia. Russia, who stands astride 

 both sets of markets, North European and Medi- 

 terranean and Near Eastern. Russia, from a forest 

 point of view I will not say lumbering point of 

 view, because we do not want any more lumbering 

 qua lumbering, and it is not necessary Russia, as 

 we have seen, has enormous areas of untapped forest 

 containing the class of materials, the soft woods, 

 which form the larger part of our imports ; and 

 incidentally those of the Mediterranean countries, 

 which can be supplied from the Caucasus. 



North European timber markets are the ones 



