Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-07
LUMBERMEN LOSE
HEAVILY BY WAR
Trade From the Southern
Ports Already Reported
as ParaIyzed.
CARGOES DIVERTED AND
MANY VESSELS SEIZED
Countries Directly and Indirectly
Involved Take 10000, 900
Feet q Year.

because the export lumber trade
from the United States has been heavy
and because most of these shipments
would be contrab band, as all bulld1nS
of homes in the war zone Will be STOP
ped. lumbermen foresee a heavy loss
in their industry on account OF the
European war.
Conditions that confront the lumber
trade, as summarized by Bristow
Adams for publication in the Amer1-
can Forestry Magazine this month. are:
There may be. in countries at war;
an Increased demand. as with the
Balkan ammunition boxes. But 1t Is
scarcely likely that the lumbermen OF
the United States can profit through
these demands, because all such lum-
Der would be contraband. Ship tim
hers have always been regarded as
contraband by Great Britain, and Ger
MANY is not going to be far behind In
taking d similar view. In. the contra
band lists already made public 1t mas
been shown that all lumber which
might even remotely be utilized IN war
or in distantly related projects is
seizable. For example, railroad ties,
which might be used in repairing
torn-up tracks, or in extending track
age for troop trains, Woulu ne seiA-
able even in neutral ships.
Lumber Trade Paralyzed.
ALREADY the shipment of lumber
from the southern ports is entirely
paraIvzed Great losses have already
been sustained through the seizure OF
vessels which were on the high seas
when war was declared, or through
caryoes diverted to points at which
the timber cannot readily be sold, be-
cause lumber intended for export 70
one country is very seldom IN such
shape as to be readily salable In an
other
This diversion of freight is going to
cause all sorts of trouble, and VIII Dc
one of the big problems of the LUMBER
exporter as long as the war lasts nor
will there be any money returns from
the diverted cargoes, and no settlement
OF claims until peace is again estao-
liShed.
Loss, roo, 600, 900 Feet.
In actual figures, the countries direct
ly or indirectly involved in war take. in
round numbers. 7O0,O0O.OOO board feet of
our timber, of which about 65O.OOO.OOo is
southern yellow pine. Already; most OF
the firms cutting yellow pine for export
have either closed down or have greatly
curtailed their product With Japan
carrying belligerency into Asia and the
Pacific. the JO.OO0,00O board feet exported
from the northwest coast is likely to be
temporarily cut off from market.
During the twelve months ending June
30 our exports Of timber to France, Ger
many, Italy and the United Kingdom
amounted to Sc, 164.31: and sawed lum-
Der exports were worth S11.5O7,O11. BY
far the larger part of this yearly in
come which takes no count of furniture
and other materials made chiefly OF
IN nr
two millions Of dollars a month, is going
to be lost to American producers while
war continues.
Naval Stores Loss.
IN naval stores again the south loses
heavily Austria. Belgium. Germany,
Italy, Russia and the United Kingdom
take rosin worth s7,59S,233, and turpen-
tine valued at 81, 719, 7s1, a total of $12,-
a1S,014. Most of this will be cut on from
market, for Germany alone takes $4,s23,-
SIS worth, and commerce with Germany
does not now exist. France, being
producer and exporter of naval stores,
does not take our southern product. The
latest figures 5000 on the total produc-
ton of rosin give 3.263,s 57 barrels. valued
at Sl2,576721. In that year the total
production of turpentine was 2S.9SS95
gallons. valued at ST., ,22S There can
be no doubt that since these census fig
and turpentine produced has fallen on
and the value has increased.
Gun Stock Walnut.
Nearly all our hardwood exports go
to Europe. and principally to those
countries now engaged in war. In this
connection it is interesting that large
part of our walnut-and the very
choicest-has been going to the pres
eut belligerents. and mainly to Ger
many, to be made into gun stocks.
Here again the south suffers. in COM
merce if not in production, because
New Orleans Is the principal source OF
hardwood export. Proportionately, the
hardwood industry is the hardest hit OF
large part of the product depended on
the export market A single example.
that of the vast export of oak barrel
slaves to hold French wine and Ger
man beer. is sufficient to indicate what
war is doing.
I'm countries at war the arts of peace
are at a standstill. The building OF
homes will cease, large projects OF
construction will be abandoned and
the demands for timber will naturally
fall off.
'All this curtailment of foreign mar
kets, the greatly augmented risks OF
foreign shipments. and increases in
costs of transportation and insurance
mean overproduction at home, or an
entire cessation Of activity such as has
already taken place in parts of the
south.
Little Hope for Timber.
There is little hope for aid in the
way of war demands for timber from
countries now involved in the Euro
pean struggle, or indeed in all Europe
1t behooves us, then, to look for new
outlets. Heretofore Germany has had
large share of the South American
trade. particularly with Argentina and
Brazil. These countries are still going
to need material, and the United States
now has an opportunity not only tc
enter the field. but to cover it,
The possibility of developing an ex.
port trade in mine timbers is indicated
by Consul Lorin A. Lathrop Of Cardtff
Wales.
The war should boom the pulp and
paper trade in the United States and
Canada These two countries are the
only available sources of supply an6
paper is not contraband Our mills
VIII be obliged to enlarge their eouiu.
ment to meet the situation"
AUSTRIANS CAUSE RIOT