El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-02-05
French Forests
AreRninedBy
TheGreat War
America To Help Replant
Them; No Timber For
A Generation.
By FREDERIC J. HAsKIN.

Washington L. - eu- o---A4lAl4olAa
OF plants and seeds are now being col
lected by the American Forestry as
ISOLATION to be sent to France, to aid
in the work OF reforestatiOn- The
state Of Pennsylvania has contributed
100 pounds Of white pine seed and 50
pounds Of Douglas fir seed Mime
sofa has sent 200 pounds Of white pine
seed. But much more is needed
France can use 200 pounds OF these
seeds
from the French forest service to the
United States forest service. but, while
the American orga lization was able
to send large quantities Of plants and
seeds it happened 10 have on hand, it
had no appropriation with Wnlch 10
buy additional seed for France.
The condition OF the French forests
TODAY Is so bad that II has enlisted
the interest OF foresters all over the
world More than 1s25O,OOO acres OF
French forest were actually demol-
fshed BY the war, while over so per
cont Of the remaining merchantable
timber had TO be cut in the cause OF
defence.
This would be a heavy blow to any
nation. but to France, which had
worked over and cherished her for
ests for the past 50 years. IL is nothing
Great Need Of Wood.
In America, wood is a common ma
terial But in France devastated by
many wars, wood was not plentiful
even at the outbreak Of the war The
nation had TO import one-third Of its
lumber Hence, the strictest KIND OF
conservation was both preached and
practiced, and every effort was made
TO increase the forested land In
years. France succeeded In
creating forests where formerly there
we're only sandy wastes. in planting
trees on barren mountain slopes, and
in establishing a national timber re-
source that surprised neighboring
nations.
over u per cent Of the French for
ests is owned by the government Z
Forty-three per cent is owned and
regulated by communes and public in
stitutfons. and the rest is privately
owned. Even the timber in the hands I
OF the cOmmunes and private owners !
is partially controlled by the govern I
ment.
IL may be imagined. therefore. that /
after nourishinE its woodland so T
yigilantly, France tossed il in the
arena Of war only with great pain and /.
self sacrifice The first demand was
from the French army Barracks, fac Z
tories, gunstocks. machinery, and I
miles and miles OF trench boards had 1
to be supplied
Then arrived the British army. It, /
too, needed timber for barracks. !
stables and railroad ties. and IL could I
not wait for supplies to be shipped 4
across the channel With a sigh Of |
despair, the French forest service pre- 4
seuted the British army with passports 1
TO certain sturdy pine forests, some 1
% them containing trees hundred 4
1r more years old. Next came the !
Canadians with a separate forestry (
regiment OF their own. and more 4
passports we're issued And. at last. 3
zane the Americans with their fearful /
for extravaganza
Germans Ruin Forests.
Meantime, the forests Of the north
srn provinces OF France were in the I
lands OF the enemy-Or, rather. what I
vas left OF them The Germans had
made them their special target, be- (
,ause they knew that they concealed I
he movement OF troops, the position
II batteries and machine guns. and I
sven machinery and ammunition E
,oused in temporary structures
The very thickness Of the timber
md the underbrush which made them
such admirable coverings for defence
operations. also made them conspic-
Ious targets for the enemy When L
/ forest was under severe fire" says T.
Col Henry S Graves. chief OF the Z
United States forest service, who hast
ust returned from duty abroad. "the
lsmage was so great that there was
almost no salvage What was not
split, cracked or smashed, was filled
Tith shrapnel splinters, making It (
to saw a board or cross
tie
This depletion Of the French for Z
.sts has grave economic aspects For u
Z means the virtual destruction Of u
frances home wood industries. which
lefore the war supported hundreds Of
Deople. Throughout the forested re-
lions before the war there were nu-
nerous Iements-communi in
which every household had its wood
nan and its wood carver. The indus
~ is handed down from one genera
ion to another.
France must wait until new forests ]