1120 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



to bring over 24,000 additional forestry troops, or a total 

 of 42,000 men, 2,000 of which were to cut for the French 

 and British. The men were already 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. Cer- 

 tainly we would have been hard put to it, and been com- 

 pelled to operate some very difficult tracts. 



We had to get ready cut lumber, ties, and piles for im- 

 mediate 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 be- 

 yond what we had anticipated when we drew up the 

 organization of the Forestry Section. The British and 

 French helped us in this with wonderful generosity, giv- 

 ing us material from stocks sorely needed for their own 

 armies. We developed to their utmost all European 

 sources, Switzerland, Portugal, and even Spain. This 



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 sol- 

 diers 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 sent the necessary men and guns to France if there 

 had not been the French forests to supply the 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 ex- 

 pressing my profound admiration of the Canadian For- 

 estry Corps, and deep appreciation of their generous and 

 unfailing assistance. A finer lot of men I never hope 



GENERAL VIEW OF ONE OF THE 20th REGIMENT SAWMILLS 



last was the work with which I personally was most 

 concerned ifter the arrival of the forestry troops. 



When we consider that the modern army is help- 

 less without wood, I think it is safe to say that the 

 French forests were one of the big factors in winning 

 the war. . 



Had not the standing timber been in France to cut, 

 it would have been useless to send forestry troops, and 

 we would have been compelled to use precious tonnage 

 in bringing the wood to our armies. We all know how 

 critical the situation 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, any 

 one who could hold a rifle. The need of men and guns 



to meet. When Colonel Graves and I landed in Bor- 

 deaux in June, 1917, wholly ignorant of what lay before 

 us, Colonel 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. Colonel White was particularly 

 helpful with friendly counsel. When our forestry troops 

 had arrived but were unable to commence sawing be- 

 cause our mills had not yet come, General MacDougsil 

 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 forest- 

 ers in France when I say that we can never adequately 

 repay our debt of gratitude to the Canadians. 



