WAR SERVICE OF THE AMERICAN FORESTRY 



ASSOCIATION 



THE American Forestry Association determined 

 when the United States entered the war to do all 

 it possibly could to aid in the nationwide move- 

 ment for victory and, as it felt particularly interested in 

 the organization of the forestry and lumberjack regi- 

 ment, it is perhaps not inappropriate to mention to the 

 men for whom this issue of the American Forestry mag- 

 azine is made a souvenir edition, some of its activities. 



It aided, through its Conservation Department, the 

 National War Garden Commission organized in March, 

 1917, and conducted until June 1, 1919. This commis- 

 sion, conceived, directed and financed by Charles Lath- 

 rop Pack, president of the American Forestry Associa- 

 tion, inspired the planting of war gardens on vacant lots 

 and slacker land throughout the United States. It fur- 

 nished instruction to individuals, it organized communi- 

 ties, it distributed literature, it in a word did every- 

 thing worth doing to help raise food where none was 

 raised before in order to help, as General Pershing ex- 

 pressed it, "to keep the food coming." Its work resulted 

 in food of a value of over a billion dollars being raised 

 by the war gardeners. It furnished equipment for a war 

 garden at Camp Dix, New Jersey, and this garden inspir- 

 ed the planting of gardens at other camps of soldiers. Its 

 plan of work was closely studied by the French, British 

 and Canadian governments and some of its methods were 

 successfully adopted by these governments. Its work 

 was conducted from the offices of the American Forestry 

 Association, in Washington. 



The Association started a fund for the welfare and 

 comfort of the forestry and lumberjack soldiers, as told 

 in detail on another page. 



In December, 1919, members of the Association raised 

 a special fund and sent Secretary Percival S. Ridsdale to 

 France, Belgium and Great Britain to study the forest 

 losses of these countries. The result of the trip was an 

 offer by the Association to provide American forest tree 

 seed to help in reforesting the war-stricken forests of 

 these countries. This offer was gratefully accepted, and 

 an effort is now being made to secure the seed needed, 

 partly by donations from states and partly by a fund 

 which is now being raised. 



The Association's magazine, American Forestry, de- 

 voted a great deal of its space to articles and photo- 

 graphs about the effect of the war upon the forests of the 

 United States, Canada, France, Belgium and Great Brit- 

 ain, and many more such articles are now in hand ready 

 for publication. 



Copies of American Forestry Magazine were sent to 

 the 20th Regiment in France and to the camps in the 

 United States each month. 



The Association is now aiding the Welfare Fund Com- 

 mittee to secure positions for lumbermen and foresters 

 in War Service. 



It has since the fall of 1918 earnestly urged the plant- 

 ing of Memorial Trees in tribute to those who gave their 

 lives for their country or offered their lives in the Great 

 War. Thousands of Memorial Trees have been planted 

 and many thousands more will be planted next fall. The 

 movement is spreading rapidly, and in addition to its 

 fitness from the standpoint of memorial tributes it is 

 also most serviceable in the cause of forestry by interest- 

 ing thousands of people in trees. 



"THE GREAT TREE MAKER" 



From every section of the United States the American For- 

 estry Association is getting reports of Memorial Tree planting 

 and is registering these trees on its national honor roll. George- 

 town University has dedicated fifty-four memorial trees at its 

 120th Commencement and marked them with the bronze marker 

 designed by the Association. At San Francisco a Hero Grove 

 was dedicated on Memorial Day and Cleveland on the same 

 day dedicated an avenue of Liberty Oaks. Twenty schools in 

 Cincinnati have planted Memorial Trees. The Daughters of 

 the Confederacy are planting Memorial Trees, the Cordele, 

 Georgia, Chapter being the first to register with the Association. 

 The Daughters of the American Revolution are planting, too, the 

 "Our Flag" Chapter, of Washington, D. C, being the first to 

 report to the Association. 



Rev. Francis E. Clark has sent a call to the Christian En- 

 deavor Societies of the world to plant Memorial Trees. "Thus 



1158 



come closer to the Great Tree Maker," says Dr. Clark in his 

 call, which will have far reaching effect. The American For- 

 estry Association will gladly send free instructions to any person 

 or organization planting trees, and it has prepared a planting 

 day program which is being widely used. These are but exam- 

 ples of how wide spread the call of the Association to plant 

 Memorial Trees has become. 



Next fall more extensive planting is being planned. In the 

 next issue American Forestry will begin printing the honor roll 

 of those for whom trees have been planted. Every member of 

 the Association can help in this great work by taking the lead 

 in tree planting in his community. Start plans for fall planting 

 in your town now. Work for a Memorial Avenue of trees or 

 for Memorial Trees as the setting for any form of memorial 

 your town may be adopting. Inform the Association of progress 

 made. 



