Canadian Foicslrii Journal, Novenihrr, 191S 



1925 



likewise forest dcvaslation; utiliza- 

 tion was regulated, and the protection 

 of forest received special attention. 

 And all this, not because of any prop- 

 aganda, but simply because the 

 people, the owners of the woods and 

 the users of wood realized the neces- 

 sity of prompt and forceful action. 

 But even so, forestry recjuired a long 

 time to grow, and Colbert, the great 

 minister of France, two centuries 

 later expressed himself in the famous 

 sentence: "France will perish for 

 lack of timber." He did not stop at 

 this, however, but worked out his still- 

 more famous forest law of 1669, re- 

 markable for being most complete 

 and effective. Corrupt practice under 

 the Bourbons led the Revolution to 

 repeal parts of this famous law, but 

 in 1801 and 1803, and fmally in 

 1827, it was re-enacted, forms today, 

 and is likely to form for a long time 

 to come, the great guide and director 

 of forestry in France. 



The War's Demands. 



Then came the w^ar. 



Before the end of 1916, it became 

 very evident that even in this latest 

 and greatest of wars it takes timber; 

 that forests protect armies; that 

 timber in enormous quantities is 

 needed at the front, in the trenches, 

 for shelters, covers, for roads and 

 bridges, for barracks and hospitals; 

 that much of our equipment needs 

 wood of special kinds, and that even 

 the flying machines require a propel- 

 ler and frame of well selected and 

 seasoned wood. It became evident 

 that Germany's ability to hold out 

 was in no small degree connected 

 with her forests, and, for the first 

 time it was brought home to our 

 people that forestry difTered from 

 the field; that while in farm crops, of 

 bread and meat, we live hand to 

 mouth; in the forest crops, if properly 

 cared for, as in Germany and France, 

 we have 20 year's living ahead. 

 Then came shipping difficulties, and 

 by the beginning of this year Sir 

 John Stirling-Maxwell, in England, 

 made the statement in a public 

 address: 



"For the last three years every 

 one engaged in the organizations for 



war has known how dearly this 

 country (England) is paying for the 

 neglect of a great national industry 

 (forestry) The Prime Minister 

 has told us that timber absorbs more 

 shipping than any other import, and 

 that we can only insure imports of 

 food by foregoing imports of timber. 

 For the army we are mainly 

 dependent on the French forests. 

 Had our Allies neglected forestrij as 

 we have done, the war could not, at 

 this stage have been carried on at all 



We had the great good luck to be 



able to import timber for the first 

 two years of war, but the cost in 

 increased price, freight and insurance 

 amounted in these years to some 

 40 million (pounds sterling) more 

 than w^e need have paid for home- 

 grown timber." 



The Forestry Sub-Committee of 

 the British Reconstruction Commit- 

 tee states: "There appears to be no 

 reason why the Canadian forests 

 should not supply the United King- 

 dom with coniferous timber and meet 

 its growing needs for many genera- 

 tions." ''Meanwhile the forest capital 

 of Canada is growing less year by year. 

 This we submit is an Imperial ques- 

 tion of the first magnitude which 

 deserves the immediate attention of 

 the Imperial and Dominion Govern- 

 ments.''' The Committee then re- 

 commends spending $60,000,000 in 

 a planting program of 40 years for 

 the small area of waste lands, in the 

 Bitish Isles. 



Here we have a small island 

 country, close and convenient to 

 large supplies of timber, suddenly 

 waked up to the necessity of supphes 

 of timber at home. 



When our country entered the war, 

 naturally everyone felt, that at least 

 we would not have any trouble in 

 getting timber. 



But we had a great surprise in 

 store. Everything of value was 

 bought up and shipped. "This is 

 my third trip here and I just closed a 

 deal for a large lot of lumber which I 

 refused to take on my last round," 

 said the English buyer to one of our 

 men. We needed ship timber; we 

 needed everything clear up to season- 

 ed mahogany, oak and walnut for 



