EXHIBIT 12

                    FORT JAMES CORPORATION and SUBSIDIARIES

             COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES (a)

                          (Dollar amounts in millions)

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                                                       Fiscal Year Ended
                                                          -------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           December 28,  December 29,   December 31,    December 25,   December 26,
                                                               1997          1996           1995            1994           1993
                                                            (52 weeks)    (52 weeks)     (53 weeks)      (52 weeks)     (52 weeks)
                                                           ------------  ------------   ------------    ------------   ------------
<S> <C>
                                                                                                             (c)           (b,c)
Pretax income (loss) from continuing operations,
  before minority interests,
  extraordinary item................................         $  267.3      $ 499.2         $272.2          $(76.7)      $ (2,042.3)

Add:
  Interest charged to operations....................            360.2        433.6          545.9           547.8            525.8
  Portion of rental expense representative of
     interest factor (assumed to be one-third)......             27.7         25.8           26.0            26.1             20.8
                                                           -------------  -----------   ------------    ------------   ------------
       Total earnings, as adjusted..................         $  655.2       $958.6         $844.1          $497.2       $ (1,495.7)
                                                           -------------  -----------   ------------    ------------   ------------
                                                           -------------  -----------   ------------    ------------   ------------
Fixed charges:
  Interest charged to operations....................         $  360.2       $433.6         $545.9          $547.8       $    525.8
  Capitalized interest..............................             11.0          6.6            9.0             7.3             13.7
  Portion of rental expense representative of
     interest factor (assumed to be one-third)......             27.7         25.8           26.0            26.1             20.8
                                                           -------------  -----------   ------------    ------------   ------------
       Total fixed charges..........................         $  398.9       $466.0         $580.9          $581.2       $    560.3
                                                           -------------  -----------   ------------    ------------   ------------
                                                           -------------  -----------   ------------    ------------   ------------
Ratio...............................................             1.64         2.06           1.45              --               --
                                                           -------------  -----------   ------------    ------------   ------------
                                                           -------------  -----------   ------------    ------------   ------------
</TABLE>

  See Notes to Supplemental Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges.

                                      E-1
<PAGE>

                                                          EXHIBIT 12 (continued)

                    FORT JAMES CORPORATION and SUBSIDIARIES

    NOTES TO SUPPLEMENTAL COMPUTATION OF RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

     (a) In computing the ratio of earnings to fixed charges, earnings consist
         of income before income taxes, minority interests, extraordinary item,
         and fixed charges excluding capitalized interest. Fixed charges consist
         of interest expense, capitalized interest, and that portion of rental
         expense (one-third) deemed representative of the interest factor.
         Earnings and fixed charges also include the Company's proportionate
         share of such amounts for unconsolidated affiliates which are owned 50%
         or more and distributed income from less than 50% owned affiliates.

     (b) During 1993, the Company wrote off $1,980.4 million of goodwill which
         has been included in the calculation of the ratio of earnings to fixed
         charges for this year.

     (c) For the following periods, earnings were inadequate to cover fixed
         charges, and the amounts of the deficiencies were: year ended December
         26, 1993 -- $2,056.0 million; year ended December 25, 1994 -- $84.0
         million.