capacity, but some of her forests suffered heavy 
war damage. 
Although the forests of European Russia were 
generally being overcut before the war, and mili- 
tary operations destroyed much forest from the 
Baltic to the Black Sea, Russia is likely to in- 
crease her output. However, it is doubtful if she 
can produce enough to meet her own reconstruc- 
tion needs. In the more distant future, growing 
domestic requirements are likely to keep pace 
with Russia’s output and so hold down her ex- 
port. 
The countries most in need of imports are the 
United Kingdom, France and the Low Countries. 
The United Kingdom, which normally produces 
less than 5 percent of her timber consumption, had 
to fall back on her own forests during the war. 
More than two-thirds of the standing softwood tim- 
ber and almost as large a proportion of the hard- 
woods were cut. Many of the forests of France, 
Belgium, and the Netherlands were heavily dam- 
aged. In all these countries the need for recon- 
struction is great. Germany and the Mediterra- 
nean countries are also in need of timber. How- 
ever, Germany’s growing stock was not greatly 
impaired by the war, and her forests should be 
able to take care of most of her reconstruction 
needs. 
In Asia, the forests of the U. S. S. R. are largely 
undeveloped. A growing population and industrial 
development are creating a large domestic de- 
mand for wood. Any surplus in the Urals and 
Western Siberia probably would go to European 
Russia. The extensive forests of Eastern Siberia 
can produce much more than is likely to be re- 
quired locally. This will help take care of the 
needs of China, Korea, and Japan, which should 
be the natural markets for it. On the other hand, 
the vast interior forests of Siberia, thousands of 
miles from good seaports and mostly lacking 
railroads, seem unlikely to provide much timber 
for export. 
China will need large quantities of timber. 
Some of this may be supplied from Siberia, the 
Netherlands East Indies, and the Philippines. But 
China will doubtless continue to seek imports 
from western Canada and the United States. 
Before the war Japan’s forests furnished 90 per- 
cent of the timber she used, but cutting has been 
heavy since 1932. Her requirements to rebuild 
demolished cities and shipping will be great. Un- 
less her standard of living is to remain permanently 
much below the prewar level, Japan will need 
fairly large timber imports. 
India and the other countries of southeastern 
Asia, except Burma and Siam, may need to im- 
port timber if they develop industrially. The East 
Indies and the Philippines have large undeveloped 
forests which contain much valuable timber. 
These countries should be able to help supply 
the growing demands of China and southeastern 
Asia. Their exports to Europe and the United 
States are likely to be chiefly high-grade specialty 
woods. 
Australia and New Zealand have never exported 
much lumber, except to each other, and are not 
likely to do so. Both import much softwood from 
western United States and Canada. Extensive 
planting of conifers may eventually enable them 
to become self-sufficient. 
The countries of northern, eastern, and south- 
ern Africa can never furnish large quantities of 
timber. ‘Their own needs are likely to increase 
and they will probably always need to import. 
Western and central Africa, however, have large 
tropical forests and may eventually export from 
half a billion to a billion board feet of hardwood 
to Europe and America. 
With the world’s timber situation as it is, the 
United States has much to gain from building up 
its resources to the point where it will have a 
substantial margin for export. This may even 
be viewed as a moral obligation, for by making 
its full contribution to the world’s timber needs 
the United States will be working for peace in an 
important way. 
Goal Is To Double Saw-Timber Growth 
It has been feasible to make quantitative esti- 
mates only for potential requirements and for losses 
from fire, insects, diseases, and other natural 
causes. Between the sum of these estimates and 
the upper range of the proposed goal (p. 33), the 
margin for ineffective growth, new uses, national 
security, and export is about 4 billion cubic feet, 
or 8 billion board feet: 
Goals for annual growth 
All timder Saw timber 
(billion cu. ft.) (billion bd. ft.) 
Item: 
imberiproducts\. si het lees 14.6 61.0 
SPIVOSSES ino hese weird ante Reet ee oN 1.3 3.2 
Margin OSC tye ene ee 4.1 7.8 
Total 20.0 72.0 
38 Miscellaneous Publication 668, U. S. Department of Agriculture 
