Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-28
FOREST ENGINEERS TO FRANCE
BY FREDERIC }. HAsKIN

the only ones who forcsaw at all adc-
auateiy tho great Importance Of lum-
Der In the operations OF such war
as this. 1t has been reliably reported
'hat inc hrst German force, tho gray
wave that got in motion four days
aiter the declaration Of war and swept
over Belgium and Franco, carried its
portable sawmills with it.
Men Are Already Trained.
An additional advantage gained Inv
the sending OF the Forest iInrinecr.
IS the fact that these men are al
ready trained and ready for the work
in hand Practically all the forest
engineer troops OF Franco arc trained
10 french fghtins. and are capable OF
taxing their places in the front limo.
as soon as relieved 1T would tnl,o
many months to train Americans to
relieve first -line-trcnch troops. but ii
takes no time ut all to train our FUN
bermcn for the numbering oporation.
mat are Just as essential ms the trench
hghting. This line OF reasoning an
plies with equal force to each OF tie
ten engineer regiments
IL Is probable that while America
Forest engineers relieve Frenchmcn for
trench duty. they Will also ba aupnIy
ing an actual lack OF forestcrs and
lumbcrmcn in the British forces. With
me exception of the men she trains
Tor service 10 India. England has had
no use or need for forcsters Tho
me percentage OF timbered area Is
only about per cent. whereas IL
should be about % per cent Az
result. England has had no reserve Of
cNiiian forest men to draw ION at
nome and she has had to call on her
uofnihions Tor every available man. II
rs estimated that Canada has sent
1900 practical woodsmen, or foresters.
as she calls them, to tho front,
WIN the entry OF the United States
INTO the war. however, the needs of
the allies for woodsmen would seen,
TO be supplied. numbering is one OF
our most important industries, ami
from Maine and Michigan and Louis
lana and tho whole Rocky Mountain
and Pacific Coast region. wherever tn.
news OF tho proposed forestry resi-
men, has penetrated, woodsmcn arc
Offering their services
Drawn From Lumber Regions
II Is pfobabie that most OF the men
Tor this first regiment will he drawn
rom inc Eastern hardwoo numbering
ing operations in these regions md
IN France ar" very similar. On tho
othcr hand. men trained 10 tho telling
and handling of the giant trees Of the
fa"ihc Slone forests would find them.
selves confronting an entirely nov and
unfamiliar problem in the small birch
forests OF France.
Ine operations Of the American
woodsmen will be under tho .upcr-
vision OF expert and technically trained
forcsters. who viii b. included i'm
the officers Of tho corps LAUNDERING
rs an exact science. and every comfort
VIII be made to get the necessary re-
suits with the minimum OF permanent
damage TO the forests Of France or
course. II VIII be impossible TO carry
on the cutting with the care tina, /;
applied TO commercial NUMBERING In
peace time. but all the skill or expert
enccd forcsters will he directed toward
conserving tho forests as far as NOS
sible. II is known that the forestry
officers OF France have been cutting
on carefully prepared plan, and tho
technically trained officers OF the
American regiment will be able to taxa
over and follow up this plan in their
work. None OF the wood viii he
wasted-thc smaller branches and even
IN" twiEs are In great demand in the
war zone for use as fuel.
me organization OF the Forest En-
Gincers marks new step in tn. de-
velopment OF the American arm,
Those who have followed the success
with which commercial NUMBERING
and conservation have gone hand in
hand on our national forests have No
doubt that the work OF the Americans
IN France will do tho nation credit.