Canadian Forestry Journal, February, 1919 



71 



which never had enough cars or engines. The 

 same kind of narrow gauge railroads bothered 

 us in other regions as well. 



Prepared for 42,000 Woodsmen, 



Last autumn, before the armistice was signed, 

 our War Department planned to have four and a 

 half million men in France by July 1919. This 

 meant an enormous increase in the lumber re- 

 quirement. To meet it we planned to bring over 

 24,000 additional forestry troops, or a total of 

 42,000 men, two thousand of which were to cut 

 for the French and British. The men were al- 

 ready being recruited when hostilities ceased. 

 Whether or not France could have furnished the 

 timber for this force, as well as for the British 

 and French armies is difficult to say. Certainly 

 we would have been hard put to it, and been 

 compelled to operate some very difficult tracts. 



We had to get ready cut lumber, ties, and 

 piles for immediate needs pending the arrival of 

 the forestry troops. We had to continue getting 

 this class of material even after the arrival of 

 the forestry troops because the War Department 

 increased the numbers of fighting men beyond 

 what we had anticipated when we drew up the 

 organization of the Forestry Section. The Brit- 

 ish and French helped us in this with wonderful 

 generosity, giving us material from stocks sorely 

 needed for their own armies. We developed to 

 their utmost all European sources, Switzerland, 

 Portugal, and even Spain. This last was the 

 work with which I personally was most con- 

 cerned after the arrival of the forestry troops. 



When we consider that the modern army is 

 helpless without wood, I think it is safe to say 

 that the French forests were one of the big 

 factors in winning the war. 



Timber a Vital Need. 



Had not the standing timber been in France 

 to cut, it would have been useless to send fores- 

 try troops, and we would have been compelled 

 to use precious tonnage in bringing the wood to 

 our armies. We all know how critical the situa- 

 tion was during the German drives from March 

 to July. Every man and every gun was needed. 

 The drive in March was checked by a handful of 

 men who had never fought before, laborers, 

 camp cooks, anyone who could hold a rifle. The 

 need of men and guns was so great that England 

 cut down her importations of food to get tonnage 

 to bring men over. The people went without 

 sugar, they went without butter and other fats, 

 they had almost no meat and a miserly slice of 



bread each day. They reduced themselves to 

 the verge of starvation just to get a few more 

 ships to bring soldiers to France. Had it not 

 been for the forests of France, these ships, yes 

 and even more ships, would have had to bring 

 lumber instead of men. 



We have seen then, that wood is a military 

 necessity and that, owing to the shortage of ships 

 we could not have brought the necessary men 

 and guns to France if there had not been the 

 French forests to supply wood. We have also 

 seen that these forests are due to the efforts 

 and industry of skilled foresters backed by the 

 people. 



In concluding, I wish to take this opportunity 

 of expressing my profound admiration of the 

 Canadian Forestry Corps, and deep appreciation 

 of their generous and unfailing assistance. A 

 liner lot of men I never hope to meet. When 

 Col. Graves and I landed in Bordeaux in June 

 1917, wholly ignorant of what lay before us, 

 CoL Miller in charge of the Canadians in the 

 region, called upon us and not only extended to 

 us every courtesy, but gave us much valuable 

 information. I have already spoken of the 

 assistance we received in drawing up our 

 organization. Gen. White was particularly help- 

 ful with friendly counsel. When our forestry 

 troops had arrived but were unable to commence 

 sawing because our mills had not yet co.me. 

 Gen. McDougal lent us five Canadian sawmills, 

 three of 20,000 foot and two of 10,000 foot 

 capacity, with full equipment. I feel that I 

 speak for all the American lumbermen and 

 foresters in France when I say that we can never 

 adequately repay our debt of gratitude to the 

 Canadians. 



NORWAY TO HELP FRANCE. 



Norway intends to help out the restoration of 

 the devastated part of France, in the front zone, 

 by planting a belt of Norwegian forest trees. 

 Much enthusiasm has developed for the scheme, 

 and it is intended to begin this spring. It com- 

 prises the planting of 250 acres annually, for 

 five years, and the money is streaming into 

 Consul Heiberg, at Christiania. The idea is to 

 send a forestry party of about fifty Norwegians, 

 fully equipped with trees, tools, tents and stores, 

 so as not to impose the slightest burden on 

 Franco. 1 he tentative zone for planting the belt 

 of trees is from Adrennes towards the Belgian 

 frontier, behind Arras, where there formerly was 

 fine forest, but action will be taken in accord- 

 ance with the desires of the French. 



