Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-07

AAdI oIu dodSe ABOUT DredQ cast
upon the waters" is proving true in
reference to
British House Building world trade
Is Revolutionized. onan;ns nm
for the United States. Out of practi-
cally every act of international kind
ness done by Uncle Sam has come a
wider trade opportunity along lines
which even the most far-seeing COM
mercial opportunist never dreamed of.
A particularly striking feature of
this is that emergency war work ex-
pedited by the United States in meet
ing the grave housing problem is re-
sulting in a revolution in the British
system of house building. From time
immemorial the British have used
brick for construction practically ex-
clusively-now they are coming to
wooden structures, following the
war time example set by the United
States The United States is called
upon to furnish this lumber. With the
going of the time brick mansions
are going also the big open hreplaces
heretofore used exclusively for heat
ing. There is a growing demand for
American heating systems. in conse-
quence.
Sir Charles Ruthen recently pre-
scented to the British Society of Archl-
tects careful
American Methods ly compiled
to Be Investigated. show;ns that
even if the output of brick is in
creased 25 per cent it will be nearly a
quarter of a century before the Brit
ish housing shortage will be over
come. He said that more than 7.000,-
900 persons. which is more than a
quarter of the population. are i'm
properly housed. For more than q
year he has been considering and in
vestigating American methods of
quick construction. using wood as a
material. He reported that thou
sands of homes in America erected
with timber as the main structure
have lasted satisfactorily for period
equal to the life of the vast majority
of the brick and stone houses in this
country"
Consul General w Stanley Hollis, at
London. reports that as a result of
much discussion in and out of parlia-
ment and in the English press over
the problem of providing housing ac-
commodations, now so urgently need
ed after complete cessation of house
building for five years. it has been
decided to make radical changes in
the British building regulations.
+
Heretofore the use of wood for out
= the conse-
To Permit Wood quence that
in Outside Walls. me ou, "a
obliged to use either brick or stone
Now the use of wood will be permit
ted. and American homes taken as
models. Under the new regulations,
in order to avoid fire risks. other
means of heating than the open fire.
places are ordered. The first rush
for imported timber has levied upon
scandinavian countries in exchange
for cargoes of coal. but Great Britain
cannot afford to make the coal ex-
change, and stocks of timber are be-
ing secured in this country as fast as
possible. Other builders supplies,
and more particularly plum RS
goods. are in urgent demand
Houses of concrete blocks which
are quite common in this country. are
also being experimental with in COM
munity constructing ventures in GER
tain congested districts.
Italy also offers great possibilities
for the sale Of American lumber. ac-,
cordlng to an extensive report made
by Trade Commissioner Nelson c.
Brown to the United States bureau
of foreign and domestic commerce
following a careful investigation of
the needs of Italy that can be met
by American enterprise. From one
to three billion board feet of lumber
a year are needed, practically all of
which must be imported. For the
first years following the war the de-
mand is for rough lumber for gem
eral reconstruction of. devastated
areas, for car construction, shipbuild
ing, flooring, furniture and general
building purposes. The great fruit
and vegetable. wine and canned goods
titles Of lockwood material
No other country is as well pre-
pared to meet Italy's needs. No
other t timber
American Woods producing Sec
for Italy's Needs. hs o" 800 os eou ner
struction lumber, such as Douglas fir
and southern yellow pine. nor such
a variety Of hardwoods to offer.
There is a definite and assured OPP
portunity to increase the use of lum-
Der in general and American lumber
in particular.
In Italy. as in Great Britain, the
war has changed many methods