142 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLIX. No. 1258 



has, except in Alaska, been brought substantially 

 to completion. The existing forests are approach- 

 ing stability. 



Hand in hand with the cutting down of the 

 forests, a movement in the opposite direction 

 has taken place, which has the same basic pur- 

 poses — to provide for the highest use of the 

 land; and this movement, the report states, is 

 growing stronger. This is due primarily to the 

 demonstration of the public advantages real- 

 ized -through government ownership and ad- 

 ministration. A memorial of the state of 

 Idaho is cited, asking Congress to include in 

 the National Forests an area of over one mil- 

 lion acres in that state which is now contrib- 

 uting little or noithing to the wealth of the 

 state but is undergoing deterioration. This 

 addition, says the report, should unquestion- 

 ably be made. 



The report deals fully with the numerous 

 and important investigations made for the 

 benefit of war activities. Practically the en- 

 tire research organization was placed on spe- 

 cial war investigations and was increased in 

 size more than five times to meet the demand 

 for information. Among the most urgent 

 problems were those connected with the con- 

 struction of aircraft, and a vast amount of 

 information applicable in airplane construc- 

 tion was obtained. 



Practically all the war work branches of the 

 government having to do with the purchase of 

 wood materials were added, including in the 

 Army the General Staff, the Bureau of Air- 

 craft Production, the Ordnance Department, 

 the Signal Corps, the Quartermaster Depart- 

 ment, the Engineer Corps the Gas Warfare De- 

 partment and the Surgeon General's Office; in 

 the ISTavy the Bureaus of Construction and 

 Repair, Steam Engineering, Yards and Docks, 

 and the Navy Yards; the Shipping Board; the 

 Emergency Fleet Corporation; the Director 

 General of Eailroadis; the War Industries 

 Board; the "War Trade Board> housing organi- 

 zations; the Fuel Administration, anid the 

 Food Administration. In addition, coopera- 

 tion and assistance was given the AUied Gov- 

 ernments and to the industries fumishir^ war 

 materials. 



Mention is made of many other special 

 studies concerning such matters as containers 

 and crates for overseas shipments, for which 

 designs were developed insuring the required 

 strength while calling for a minimum ship- 

 ping space, questions relating to the rapid dry- 

 ing of woods for gun stocks, artillery carriages, 

 escort wagons and other vehicles, and investi- 

 gations in connection with wood distillation 

 products for various military uses. Much at- 

 tention was given also to locating supplies of 

 timber of various kinds and to stimulating 

 production. 



DEATHS FROM INFLUENZA AND PNEUMONIA 



The Bureau of Census has issued the follow- 

 ing figures of deaths from influenza and pneu- 

 monia in large cities of the United States from 

 September 14, 1918, to January 25, 1919. 



Influenza j .^^ PneumonJa 



Albany 527 150 



Atlanta 59 610 



Baltimore 1,773 2,652 



Birmingham 839 228 



Boston 4,480 1,291 



Buffalo 2,007 790 



Cambridge 485 179 



Chicago 7,329 5,071 



Cincinnati 1,721 275 



Cleveland 2,828 1,113 



Columbus 666 180 



Dayton 495 196 



Denver 1,294 404 



Pall Eiver 714 109 



Grand Rapids 94 228 



Indianapolis 156 856 



Jersey City 303 592 



Kansas City 1,342 635 



Los Angeles 2,482 517 



Louisville 141 936 



Lowell 165 477 



Memphis 115 548 



Milwaukee 339 1,172 



Minneapolis 978 159 



Nashville 580 224 



Newark 1,418 930 



New Haven 882 206 



New Orleans 2,022 985 



New York 13,641 13,795 



Oakland 931 230 



Omaha 930 141 



Philadelphia 8,367 5,959 



