WAR A VINDICATION OF FRENCH FORESTRY 359 



and foresight with which the French nation has built up its forest re- 

 sources. France could have kept on supplying the vast armies on her 

 soil for one or two years more, if need be, without cutting seriously into 

 her forest capital. Without these ample reservoirs of timber, the trans- 

 port difficulties being what they were, the handicap which the allied 

 armies would have suffered would have been almost insurmountable. 

 Apart from its value to her peace-time life and industries, the forest 

 policy of France has been vindicated as a capital element of national 

 strength in the greatest crisis of her history. 



