070 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



were a few pole operations in central France, south of 

 Orleans. Since this latter area was on the American line 

 of communication, the British kindly withdrew their 

 operations and ceded this area exclusively for American 

 exploitation. One of the first problems was to define 

 purchase areas for the use of the American or British 

 services the French retaining the right to purchase in 

 all portions of France. 



The Landes was divided so as to facilitate British water 

 transport from Bordeaux and Bayonne to a port in north- 

 ern France close to the British front. This arrangement 

 was necessary because of shortage of rolling stock in 

 France and the difficulties of transporting wood materials 



tion, the \. E. F, undoubtedly would have paid far 

 higher prices for their timber and would have had greater 

 difficulty in securing it. According to Major Woolsey, of 

 the 20th Regiment, the A. E. F. owes a debt of gratitude 

 to Lieutenant-Colonel Sutherland and Lieutenant Sebas- 

 tein of the C. I. B. G., for their co-operation. Lieutenant 

 Sebastien, the head of the C. I. B. G. Executive, worked 

 tirelessly in the interests of the Allied timber supply, not 

 only having charge of the purchase of standing timber 

 in the S. O. S. of France, but also negotiating important 

 purchasing agreements with Switzerland, Spain, Portugal 

 and Scandinavian countries. Repeatedly, when the situa- 

 tion demanded, Colonel Sutherland withdrew his claims 



A PONTOON BRIDGE ACROSS THE MARNE 



The rapidity with which these bridges are built when tbe lumber for the pontoons and for the bridge makes it necessary for the forestry units 



to be prepared to fill quickly all demands for pontoon lumber. 



from Bordeaux north on the American lines of communi- 

 cation. 



Similarly the Vosges and Jura timber areas were divid- 

 ed between the British and Americans so as to interfere 

 to the least possible extent with their railway transport. 

 The Vosges-Jura exploitations were particularly import- 

 ant for France since she secured a large per cent of her 

 aviation material, manufactured by the Canadians, from 

 the splendid spruce forests that make this region one of 

 the most valuable in France. Normandy being near the 

 British front was reserved for them. 



Had it not been for the British and French co-opera- 



to important forests, which were badly needed by the 

 American Section. 



On account of war speculation, the price of timber in 

 France had more than doubled since the beginning of 

 the war. In the Jura, timber which before the war 

 brought $16.00 per thousand feet on the stump sold for 

 from $32.00 to $45.00 per thousand feet, counting 3}4 

 cubic meters of standing timber as equal to one thousand 

 board feet. 



It was owing to the assistance of Lieutenant-Colonel 

 Joubaire, chairman of the French committee having 

 charge of the purchase or leasing of private forests, that 



