Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-29
FAMOUS FORESTER SEES
WOOD FAMINE APPROACH
Col. George p. Ahern Declares America
Will Be in Midst of Serious Shortage
in Ten Years.

have failed. They tried to use steel
and cement railway ties. hut the Jar
ring that resulted made them impoSSi
ble except for freight traffic. Even
then it would have been pretty hard
on animals
II have heard that when forests
are cut down there is a. great deal
of damage to the SOIL" 7 quericd.
That is very true. Not only is
there enormous damage to soil. but
the menace from floods Is increased
and water power development i'm tho
United States will be inlmeasurablV
hindered. Soil erosion occurs whom
the soil is stripped of forests. Where
there arc forests the soil holds or nj
lows to escape very slowly at least
four-fffths of tho rainfall. Where
there are no forests To hold back rain
fall four-tifths of il rIShes onward
into streams. carrying with il rich
soil. and frequently flooding the Cotir
trysidc. China suffers from a lack Of
forests Her soil has been croded
down tn rocks and clay. Her rivers
periodically overflow because Their"
are not enough forests to hold back
tho rainfall. As our forests diSap
pear we may look for our rivers To
turn into flood nenaces. And don't
overlook the valuable soil that will
he lost.
Water Power Endangered.
Right at present America along
with the other nations at tho world
is beginning to open M her vast
storehouses of water power energy.
Water power is an era that is dawn
ing on the world. II is only Ivy w
CreasinC our motor power we can
speed up production and move on To-
greater achievements in comfort ana
material welfare. As we uproot our
forests we hinder this water power
development. We make the flow Of
water irregular, SpaSmodic Instead
of an even flow the water will come
in r,ishes. There will no too much
power at certain times and too it'll"
at others. There will no in cons"
quenCe AN enormous waste in our
waterpowcr development"
What is to hc done? You say I!
is Impossible tn avert q wood short
age. Perhaps YOU mean that whil'
II must come We can put off the day
of reckOninE?'
Yes. 7 think We can put off tho
day of reckoning. Rat we will have
to hurry up if it is going to do any
good. You see the countries of
Europe arc wise enough to cut only
We arc tho wood goats Of the world.
In other countries the wood industry
* under strict governmental reEula
ton. Every year II is agreed between
the lumber companies and the gov
eminent how much lumber shall be
cut. If more lumber is needed tbau
is supplied by the natural rc-G growth
it is imported. In our country We cut
about four times our natural re-
growth
Tree Planting Futile.
Wouldn't we get relief il VIC Went
in for tree planting on a large scale,
Col. Ahern?"
NO. tree planting IS a costly rem
edy. II would be too costly on large
scale to use. Annually wc cut ten
million acres of forest and we plant
only SO 900 acres. 1t would he too on
pensive to increase the acreage We
plant. The first remedial step to h"
taken is to introduce more economical
methods of cutting wood. Production
seems to be inefficient in general in
America
"TWo-thirdS of the oil. | am told. Is
left in the ground when the well is
abandoned and this is only typical of
the universal waste that SreetS the
eye Of the Investigator. In wood cut
ting fully 5000 900 900 cubic feet is
lost annually in inefficient and waste
full methods. This could be saved
easily If lumber companies would 60
operate In the richness of plenty
they throw into the scrap heap. 1000.
900 900 cubic feet of wood IL year.
THE next step should be to change
the policy OF the Department nj
Commerce. which does all in it's power
to facilitate the eNpOrtin" of timber
abroad when we need il here. We
are getting down to our last stick
now and yet the department has
special division whose duty it is &"
find more and more markets abroad
for our failing supply of timber. Some
:. 900. 0OO, 900 board feet of timber was
in consequence shipped abroad last
year thanks TO this policy of the De
partment of Commerce.
"constrIction materials are high
enough in America now without us
ing the Government to boost them
higher We should aim To keep that
timber at home. Certainly not utilize
our Government to make living condi-
lions harder for the American people
"'rhe last step should he to prepare
for obtaining wood supplies from
Central and South America. This
will take 1T least % years of research
and investigation before we could get
any appres able aid from this source.
But such an Enterprise should be i'm
mediately fOstered.
tCopyright 1925