1252 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



the numerous and valuable indirect services which forests 

 render from the standpoint of climate, water supply, etc. 



It was also indicated that the forests were young and 

 of recent creation, and their yield of lumber as well as 

 their general output comparatively small, for the area of 

 mere coppice wood and of timber of small value or utility 

 constituted about one-fourth of the whole. 



Numerous plantations had been established, some in 

 order to protect regions against dominating or drying 

 winds, others for the sake of clothing hills and elevated 

 plateaus with a view to preventing disastrous overflows 

 of water courses which prevailed prior to the establish- 

 ment of these plantations. The removal of these woods 

 which served as a defense against the elements would 

 cause not only considerable losses but even a public 



stipulations of the international convention signed at 

 The Hague on October 18, 1907. 



"As a matter of fact, as regards the Government for- 

 ests, article 55 of this convention provides that the occu- 

 pying Nation shall be considered only as an administrator 

 and usufructuary of this property and shall be obliged to 

 administer it in accordance with the rules on usufruct. 



"Now, the exploitation of these forests is regulated 

 according to the Belgian laws on the basis of methodical 

 arrangements which determine the areas and amounts to 

 be cut annually. 



"As regards the forests of communes and of private 

 parties, article 52 stipulates particularly that requisitions 

 in kind shall be made against communes and inhabitants 

 only for the needs of the army of occupation. 



Sl'CH SCENES AS THIS IN BELGIAN FORESTS AND WOODLANDS ARE NOT UNUSUAL. THERE ARE SCORES AND SCORES 

 LIKE THIS AND WORSE. THE DIFFICULTY OF THE PROBLEM OF RESTORATION IS APPARENT AT A GLANCE. 



danger as a result of the probable inundations, not only 

 in Belgium but even in Holland, if, for instance, the hills 

 of the basin of the Meuse and its affluents were stripped. 

 It would certainly provoke legitimate protests on the part 

 of the injured owners, who would find their crops re- 

 duced in consequence of the absence of the shelters which 

 protected them, or ravaged by the torrents which would 

 be sure to arise following the denudation of the hillsides. 



The Forestry Society even pointed out that the stipu- 

 lations of the international convention signed at The 

 Hague protected the forests of occupied enemy territory, 

 and said in an appeal to Von Bissing: 



"We arc compelled to protest against the seizure of our 

 forests, all the more energetically because we consider 

 ourselves protected in this highly grave matter by the 



"Now, it does not seem to us possible that the army of 

 occupation alone could use the large quantities of wild 

 pine, spruce, beech, oak, and walnut that have been cut 

 down, taken out, and seized by the German military 

 authority. 



"The same article also stipulates that these requisitions 

 shall be in proportion to the resources of the country and 

 of such a nature as not to impose upon the population 

 the obligation of taking part in the operations of the 

 war against their own country. 



"Now, according to the considerations set forth above, 

 we are convinced that the timber that is now being taken 

 is out of all proportion to the extremely limited timber 

 resources of Belgium, which are already exceeded by the 

 needs of the natives." 



