The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-10-25
NEED U. s. LUMBER
Billion Dollars Worth in Eu-
rope Year After War.
Duty to Sell Lumber, Asserts
US. Commerce Expert.

Portland. Ore, Oct 25-rEurope
will need billion dollars worth Of
lumber the first year after the war,
asserted DR.. Edward Ewing Pratt,
chief of the bureau of foreign and do
nestle commerce, department of COM
merce, in an address Wednesday aft
ernoon before the Forest Industry con-
ference here There will not only be
an opportunity to sell lumber. there
will be a duty that should not be
shirked-
IF the war should end in Deem
her, which is hardly likely, and lQm-
Der imports into Europe should in the
meantime show no increase, there will
be at the close of 1916 an estimated
deficit in the normal European 1um-
Der supplies of some $500, 100000 1t
has been estimated in Europe that At
least $46O, 900 900 worth of lumber wiz
be needed for this purpose. Add the
$500. 1000, 900 deficit in the normal ce-
mand. This seems to indicate that a
total of $500, 100000 worth CT lum-
Der over and above the usual deman l
piled to Europe by the lumber-pro-
ducing countries. Allowance must, Of
course, be made for buildings that will
never be replaced. Allowance must
also be made for curtailment OF con-
sumption due to enforced economy
Three hundred and eishty million dol
lars would seem ample for lose pur-
poses. So it seems likely that in the
year following the war there will be i
demand for a billion dollars worth OF
lumber in Europe
Want General Purpose Lumber.
This huge demand for lumber will,
I believe, be largely for general pur-
pose lumber for temporary construc-
ton and rebuilding, wood paving
blocks, rough construction timbers OF
all kinds, railway ties, car lumber. etc
There will no doubt be a continued
and increased demand for the finer
grades of American lumber, particu-
larry hardwoods, for undoubtedly the
stocks of lun Der in Europe have been
exhausted, as have the stocks of many
other lines of manufactured goods
1T is easy to anticipate what coun-
tries Will compete for the privilege of
supplying this lumber. We can not
expect to do all the business We shall
be lucky if We are able to do even
a major part of the business In the
year 1913 we shipped more wood
products than any other country in
the world. amounting to a total of
$115, 100000, worth in all. In the
same year Russia shipped SIS, 1000, 600
worth; Sweden $4,000, 900. Austria
Hungary $6S,00O.0O0, Canada $780,
100000, Finland $47.OO0,OOO. Germany
S26, 100000, Norway $24,000.000, Ru-
mania 100000. The total European
expectation. therefore, amounted to
1892, 900, 900, and the combined Cana
dian and American expectations
amounted to s165,00O,0O0, making a
total from these, chief lumber export
ing countries of the world. of approx
mately $550,0oO, 1000. OF course, all
this lumber did not go to Europe.
Sweden Norway, Germany and Aus
tria shipped lumber all over the
world
In direct competition with these
countries, so favorably situated, the
United States exported to Europe,
chiefly to the United Kingdom and
France, over $4,000, 900 worth of lum-
her and it's manufactured products.
of the seven European countries
that exported lumber before the war
five are com batantS and naturally
their woodcutters are at the front and
their lumber export business at a
standstilI.''