SAWMILL UNITS FOR ENGLAND'S NEED 



ALMOST immediately after the entry of the United 

 States into the European war an opportunity was 

 afforded for American forestry and lumber interests 

 to give practical example of American enterprise and effi- 

 ciency in extending substantial aid to our allies overseas. 



In no individual instance, perhaps, will the helpful activ- 

 ity of this country be better illustrated than in the exten- 

 sion of assistance to the British Government in the solution 

 of serious problems involving timber supply for its forces 

 in France. The response to the English need was given 

 with a swiftness and efficiency characteristic of the Amer- 

 ican forester and lumberman. No time was wasted and 

 there was no lost motion in achieving tangible results. 

 The whole thing was worked out within 24 hours and the 

 machinery placed in action to make the contribution 

 immediately effective. 



The British need was for skilled lumbermen and equip- 

 ment. Because of a lack of these factors the forces in 

 France were seriously handicapped. Knowledge of this 

 condition came to the Massachusetts Committee on Public 

 Safety and it was immediately realized that the only way 

 in which effective assistance could be given was through 

 sending men and equipment direct to England. Inade- 

 quate shipping facilities made it impossible to send the 

 lumber itself. For this reason it was proposed that New 

 England raise ten portable sawmill and logging units and 

 turn them over to the British authorities. 



The proposal was at once cabled to London. Through 

 the British Embassy at Washington a cablegram was re- 

 ceived from the War Office indicating pleased acceptance of 

 the offer and stating that transport facilities would be pro- 

 vided by the British Government. The project received 

 the unofficial approval of Secretary of War Baker and the 

 enthusiastic and active cooperation of the Governors of all 

 the New England states. 



To work out the details of the undertaking and to make 

 its operation effective the Massachusetts Committee on 

 Public Safety appointed a committee of which the chair- 

 man was W. R. Brown, of Berlin, New Hampshire, a direc- 

 tor of the American Forestry Association and a member of 

 the Lumber Committee of the Council of National Defense. 

 Mr. Brown is also president of the New Hampshire Tim- 

 berland Owners' Association. The other members of the 

 committee were: 



James J. Phelan, Vice-Chairman, Massachusetts Com- 

 mittee on Public Safety ; Harold G. Philbrook, Treasurer, 

 Vice-President, Connecticut Valley Lumber Company; 

 F. W. Rane, Secretary, State Forester of Massachusetts; 

 George S. Lewis, Treasurer, Connecticut Valley Lumber 

 Company; Philip T. Dodge, International Paper Com- 

 pany; H. W. Blanchard, H. W. Blanchard Lumber Com- 

 pany; Garrett Schenck, Great Northern Paper Company; 

 Hon. Herbert B. Moulton, Parker and Young Company; 

 LB. Hosford, St. Croix Paper Company ; Martin A. Brown, 

 Woodstock Lumber Company; George E. Henry, J. E. 

 Henry and Sons; Samuel H. Boardman, President Eastern 



Shook and Wooden Box Association; J. M. Parker, St. 

 John Lumber Company; Marshall T. Wood, Lande Manu- 

 facturing Company; H. B. Stebbins, H. B. Stebbins Lum- 

 ber Company; Chester C. Whitney, Perry Whitney 

 Lumber Company; J. H. Hustis, Receiver, Boston and 

 Maine Railroad; L. S. Tainter, Conway Lumber Com- 

 pany; E. C. Hirst, New Hampshire State Forester; 

 Forest H. Colby, Maine State Forester; W. O. Filley,' 

 Connecticut State Forester; J. B. Mowry, Rhode Island 

 State Forester. 



It is significant of the scope and influence of the Amer- 

 ican Forestry Association that of the 23 members of this 

 committee twelve are members of the Association. This 

 representation includes, in addition to Chairman Brown, 

 Messrs Philbrook, Rane, Dodge, Blanchard, Martin A. 

 Brown, Henry, Tainter, Hirst, Colby, Filley and Mowry. 

 On subcommittees appointed for handling details the 

 American Forestry Association was represented by Blaine 

 Viles and W. J. Lannigan. 



An idea of the speed and effectiveness of the committee's 

 work is given in the statement that the first meeting was 

 held on May 17 and that within less than a week formal 

 announcement was made of complete readiness. The men 

 and equipment were sent to England very soon afterwards. 

 In this promptness of action and in the perfection of organ- 

 ization the undertaking has shown our allies that American 

 cooperation in the European war is to be fully depended 

 upon to meet emergencies as they may arise. 



To send ten units for sawmill and logging operations in 

 England involved the raising of a fund of $120,000. The 

 cost of each unit is placed at $12,000. This money was 

 provided overnight. Through its Governor and its com- 

 mittee on public safety each of the New England states 

 subscribed the sum required for a single unit. With six 

 units thus provided for, there was no difficulty in raising 

 funds for the four remaining units by private subscription 

 among the paper manufacturers, lumbermen and timber- 

 land owners of New England. Because of these contribu- 

 tions, as well as because of the fact that almost the entire 

 membership of the committee is made up of timber owners 

 and foresters, the sawmill and logging units are identified as 

 the gift of the New England timber interests to the British 

 Government. 



The thoroughness with which the committee worked 

 out the details of the enterprise is indicative of the spirit 

 with which the whole matter was undertaken. In submit- 

 ting the plans Chairman Brown presented six closely typed 

 pages showing the exact requirements of each unit. These 

 needs included everything that would be wanted in a saw- 

 mill and logging camp, from a portable 50 or 60 horse- 

 power engine and boiler, a rotary sawmill which can saw up 

 to 20-foot lengths, four saws, 2000 extra teeth, to an exact 

 specified number of each of the hundreds of spare parts, 

 mill supplies and tools and articles needed for felling equip- 

 ment, hauling equipment, construction and repair equip- 

 ment and camp equipment. This exactness extended even 



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