NATIONAL AFFORESTATION 



dent Roosevelt said with reference to the 

 United States: " If the present rate of forest 

 destruction is allowed to continue with nothing 

 to offset it, a timber famine in the future is 

 inevitable. Eemember that you can prevent 

 such a famine by wise action taken in time, 

 but once the famine occurs there is no possible 

 way of hurrying the growth of trees necessary 

 to relieve it." These remarks, made some 

 years since, are amply corroborated by the 

 following figures which have just been pub- 

 lished regarding the wood imports and exports 

 of the United States : 



"For nearly three years now we have been 

 confronted with the stubborn fact that we 

 actually import more lumber and timber pro- 

 ducts of all kinds than we export. There is 

 every chance, too, that this change will con- 

 tinue to grow upon us till, instead of seeking 

 for an outside market for timber and lumber, 

 we will be seeking outside for a timber supply 

 to help provide for our domestic needs. 



; ' Taking the fiscal year ending with last 

 June, and in round figures our imports of 



86 



