Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-18

kctablc timber from the forests in
Northern France now In their posses
sion and selling it In Germany. SO
Jcan-Paul AlauX. an officer in the
French army, now In trenches near
Arras. Informs tho American r'orcstry.
Association OF Washington, -. c.. as
reported In its magazine. American
Forestry. This, he sayH. Is adding to
tho tremendous damage inflicted on the
forests OF France by the military Opcr-
atoms.
lie says when Paris was threatened
with capture the forests to the north
were cleared.
II am Informed" says his report.
that the forest OF Montmorency, for
example, suffered greatly b. reason OF
the Wholesale cuttings which were
necessitnted in order to give full pla Y
TO the artillery and remove all growths
which might serve the enemy as mask :
and ambushes. On the contrary, the
forests of Nincenncs and Boulognc
which practically touch tho outer bar
riers OF Paris TO the east and south,
have scarcely been touched The ter
iitorials quartcrcd there have made
some slight cuttings FOR use in she! =
tors.
The winter rains have rendered
most Of the roads impossible. especial
~ in the wooded regions. IL the for
est or Bouvigny. near Arrns. and In
the forest OF Rcrthonval. the artillery
men were unable to move their guns
over tho muddy and intrcnchcd roads.
and il was impossible to even trans
port ammunition. In order TO keep the
guns supplied il was necessary 10 cut
new roads In all directions through tho
forests, using tho fcllcd trees for the
purpose. The trunk In sections or
about twelve feet, are laid side by
side and bound together with ropes
and with galvanized iron wire. They
"a ra rn1 ct. nd ntr.,
driven deep In the ground. Tho first
layer OF trees having proven insufFi-
client. second was added. This again
failing 10 suffice, third became ncces
sary, until. In many cases. three lay
ers OF trees are superposcd In order TO
permit the passage OF convoy wagons.
TO avoid the too rapid wear or the
wood through the grinding OF the
heavy wheels and the tearing OF the
horses shoes, earth mixed with straw.
bark and the twlgs and small branches
OF the fallen trees is strewn plcntifully
over these improvised roadways.
Used to Conceal Guns.
other cuttings have been made In
these forests. both for shelters and for
frewood. Conceament of the heavy
guns on the edge Of the forest has
nccessitatcd the use of large quantities
of the bigger branches. SO that the
sum total of what has boon already
cut represents a very considerab lc
damage. A wood merchant In my regi-
mcnt tells me that i, Will require al
least thirty years to renew the growth
Of That which has already persisted SO
that the forests shall return revenue
Tho forest Of Nitrimont, behind
l.uncvillc. has been completely RACED
In tho forest of Meaux lanes from $50
to 800 feet I'm width have been cut at
intervals OF every thousand feet This
was, OF course. for the purpose of al
n fri IN oh 1
derous fire over wide area, as
through some gigantic loophole One
cannot find remnant Of copsc or
thickets: all the trees and saplings
have disappeared throughout the RACED
area
Near Neufchateau. the fort Of
Bourelmont had been built upon land
which had been donated for the pur-
pose by the Count OF Alsace. The mag
niflcent forest in front OF II was en-
tircly felicd
"ln the forest OF Champenoux evcry
tree was cut down. leaving the trunks
standing to height Of about three
feet. This was the method or cutting
generally followed at the beginning
when strategic reasons demanded that
an area be cleared. The standing
trunks made it easy to construct the
barbed wire acknowledgements and bar
rters, which prevented any raids by
either cavalry or infantry. Recently
this method has ceased. by order of the
Minister OF War. as 1t was deemed
useless and unnecessary in view OF the
intrenched method OF fighting which
now prevails
Feiled or Destroyed by Fire.
"In the plateau OF Amance. before
Nancy, the trees were all felIed for
| strategic reasons. The woods OF Crcvic
between Bombasle and Arancourt, were
destroyed by fire august 90 and %
! 1910.
"l'or several weeks have been
CHARTERED In the vicinity OF Arras In
| the wood OF La Haye. all OF the trees
and underground have been cut prac-
tically throughout the whole area OF
! the forest. 1t was done for the pur-
pose of providing frewood for the
| kitchens and shelters.
THE forests In the east, which were
the scene OF some of tho most violent
| encounters at the beginning OF the
campaign, were literally cut to pieces
by artillery fire. The trees within the
zone OF fire were completely ruined
The forests of the ArGonne have suf-
Tered particularly In this respect. while
the Official French statements atilJ men
ton almost daily coinbats In the woods
OF La Crude. Lc Pretre, dc Forgos
and ChhmDenouS. all OF which must
have already suffered heavy damages
The wooded sections In tba COS,