FUTURE GREAT DEMAND 105 



into the probable amounts available in the forests of 

 the allied countries situated in Europe. Urgent as 

 this problem has already become to some of the Allies, 

 ourselves for instance, the question will be still more 

 acute at the close of the war. A previously undreamt- 

 of demand must inevitably make itself felt with the 

 advent of peace. It is becoming therefore an impera- 

 tive duty — and each month that passes adds to the 

 urgency of this duty — that the Allies should place 

 themselves in a position to deal with the question in 

 the least wasteful and most efficient manner possible. 

 Owing to our insular position, we are, or should be, 

 even more concerned in grapphng with this problem 

 than those of our Allies who will have forest resources 

 of their own to fall back upon. Competition in the 

 timber markets at the close of the war between coun- 

 tries now fighting as close allies will on the one hand 

 be playing into the hands of the Central Powers, and 

 on the other be alike fatal to true economy and to 

 rapid progress in the rebuilding of the towns, villages, 

 and homesteads which have practically ceased to exist 

 within the areas devastated by the operations of war. 

 And this great demand, even in the absence of such 

 competition, must, it is to be feared, react unfavour- 

 ably on industries dependent on wood for their raw 

 material. The economic questions involved require 

 to be carefully thought out and a settled plan of 

 action determined upon between the Allies now. 



The great forests of some of the European nations 

 and their contents, both in volume of timber, sizes and 

 classes of materials, and estimated values, are more 

 or less well known. For instance, the fine forests of 



