68 TIMBER SUPPLIES AND RUSSIAN FORESTS 



imports. The materials sent were chiefly conifer logs, 

 dressed and undressed timber, pit props and pitwood, 

 wood manufacures and smaller amounts of wood pulp, 

 oak logs, tar, pitch, and oil of turpentine. 



How is the war going to affect our timber supplies 

 from Russia ? We need not consider the amounts 

 at present coming in. We are all aware of the various 

 reasons for the shortage. It is the position as it will 

 arise at the end of the war, and for some years subse- 

 quently, that requires our most careful consideration. 



Can we hope that conditions at the end of the war 

 will be the same as before its outbreak ? That Russia 

 will be in a position to send us the same or increasing 

 amounts of forest materials ? Will the markets be in 

 the same condition ? Their present position with the 

 great upheaval of pre-war conditions which we are 

 witnessing can scarcely lead us to form so optimistic 

 an opinion. 



What then should be the policy of this country ? 



So far as the past and recent trend of events in this 

 matter enables a judgment to be formed, it would appear 

 (and the statement also applies, though perhaps to a 

 smaller extent, to our Allies) that there are two clear 

 and separate issues upon which a decision should be 

 arrived at in this timber supply problem. 



(i) The arrangements to be made to cope with the 

 position which will face ourselves and our Allies at the 

 end of the war. 



(2) An arrangement under which our timber supplies 

 during the next forty to fifty years may be ensured. 



As introductory to a detailed description of the 

 forests of Russia, both in Europe, Finland, and 



