SHOT, SHELL AND SOLDIERS DEVASTATE FORESTS 



337 



damages to which the war has subjected the forests of 

 France, M. Marin does not lose sight of the fact that the 

 devastation is still going on as violently as ever, and that 

 it is impossible to foresee all the efforts which will be re- 

 quired of the nation. But France must be interested now 

 in this great problem in order to be ready to proceed, 

 when the time comes, with the least delay possible to 

 the reconstruction of her forestrial resources. "All delay 

 in the rebuilding of this heritage," he says, "would spell 

 losses impossible to estimate to thousands of people 

 living on the forests." 



Of forests in parts of France 

 where there has been no fighting 

 not much is known, but the in- 

 ference is that owing to the un- 

 ceasing military demands for 

 timber the annual cutting is very 

 much greater than it was in 

 times of peace, and this means, 

 doubtless, that practically all 

 timber that has matured has been 

 cut and used, for France, like 

 England, was in times of peace 

 a large importer of timber, and 

 like England, her supply from 

 Russia, whence most of it came, 

 has been cut off since the war 

 started. 



RUSSIA S SLIGHT U>SSES 



THERE is no occasion for 

 concern regarding Rus- 

 sian forests, for the losses 

 due to warfare are infinitesimal 

 when compared with her tre- 

 mendous forest resources. Then, 

 too, so Stanley Washburn told 

 readers of American Forestry 



be doubtless of some military value to her enemies, and 

 so in America nothing of importance has been heard 

 regarding her forests. Recently three small news stories' 

 have appeared. One says: "All owners of forest or 

 other land in Germany that is not being used for agricul- 

 tural purposes are to be compelled to open up their prop- 

 erty for the purpose of affording pasture to cattle and 

 swine, according to an order issued by the Federal Coun- 

 cil on April 13 and reported in the Frankfurter Zeitung. 

 The authorities are also empowered to oblige these land- 



in an article last year, even 

 in the forests where there has been severe fighting 

 the damage done the trees is hardly worthy of note, 

 because the forests are so dense and so extensive. Russia 

 with her wonderful forests will have a glorious oppor- 

 tunity for an immense lumber business when the war 

 is over, and if she can take advantage of it she will be- 

 come the main source of timber supply for all the war- 

 ring countries of Europe. 



Practically no advices have come from Italy regarding 

 any destruction of forests due to the war, nor has much 

 been reported or written about Austria's situation in 

 this respect. 



NO NEWS FROM GERMANY 



IT IS certain that Germany has done a great deal of 

 cutting in captured enemy territory, chiefly in Poland 

 and western Russia, and that she has conserved her 

 own forest resources in the thoroughly efficient and sci- 

 entific manner in which she has for so long managed her 

 forests, but news of what she has or has not done would 



Photograph by International Film Service. 



THESE TREES WERE IN THE LINE OF FIRE 



It frequently happens that artillerymen on each side cut down trees which are in their line of fire. 

 Here the stream of battle swept through a wood and the trees were cut down so the French guns 

 would have a clear line of lire. Note the dead German soldier lying partially covered with earth 

 evidently thrown ahout by the explosion of the shell which killed him. 



owners to erect the pens and shelters necessary to care 

 for their animal guests, but they will be recompensed for 

 this work. The pasturage is to be free to the persons or 

 societies needing it. Furthermore, the people are to be 

 permitted to clean up such forest and similar unused 

 lands in search of litter for bedding for their livestock." 



Another story tells of forest planting. It came by 

 wireless from Berlin to Sayville, L. I., and said : "Four 

 hundred acres of land in Grunewald Park, a favorite re- 

 sort of the people of Merlin, lying southwest of the city, 

 has been converted into a forest. A report issued today 

 by the Berlin Forestry Department shows that 1,(500,000 

 trees have been planted." 



A third article declares that : "Paper beds, with paper 

 sheets and paper pillow cases, are now being used in 

 Germany by the poor. The material for mattresses and 

 bedding has became so dear that it is impossible for any 

 but the comparatively rich to afford them. The mattresses 

 are now made of strong sheets of paper pasted together 

 and filled with dried leaves of beech and oak trees. These 



