The Wrangell sentinel., 1942-09-11

line defense job on Che home front.
 T have been thinking 8 lot late ly of what a vital part forests play in our whole war program. That is part of my job. The Department of Agriculture is largely responsible for conservation and good manage ment of all of the Nations private ly owned woodland, and it is in di- rect charge of the ITO million acres in our national forests.
 As you heard earner in this pro- gram we more and more are turn ing to wood as a material of war. Vast amounts of lumber are going into wartime housing in this eOun- try Also. as our supply of critical metals becomes shorter, wood is being used as a substitute for many of them. This year oil already is short in many areas, and the out look for transporting coal this fall and winter is not bright. More peo- pie will be burning wood for fuel than for many years
 The war is making a tremendous demand on our forests. There will be need for nearly 38 billion feet of lumber this year. That is more than we used in any single year since the First World War.
 Protecting our forests is a nev CT ending fight, waged by the For est Service of the Department of Agriculture, and by State and local foresters. Even in normal times, fires sweep over more than 30 mll- lion acres of woodland each year, destroying timber and property worth over S35,0oU,OO0. That is Just the commerc1a1 damage. It doesnt include things like destruc- tion of young growth and losses of woodland birds and animals. It doesn't include loss of equipment. stoppage of industry, and damage to watersheds
 This year our forests are in ad- ded danger They are in danger of sabotage. Destroying a stand of wartime timber would be a stroke for undercoyer agents of the Axis to gloat over. And there is the pos sibility of ineendiary attacks from the air. There is nothing fantastic about such possibilities. We cannot forget that submarines have landed Nazi saboteurs on our very shores. or that the British Royal Air Force found it worthwhile to start great fires in the forests of Germany.
 Every fire in our fields or forests this year is an enemy blaze. In the end, it makes no difference if great blaze has been started by enemy action or by the carelessness of a loyal American.
 Tonight we are opening a Ma tionwide forest fire prevention campaign. have asked the U. s. Forest Service, with it's long ex- perience in controlling fires, to take the lead in this campaign. State and local forestry organizations are giving their full cooperation. The National Advertising Council is as sisting. Conservation groups, far mers, lumbermen, business m n, workers in war industries are all joining in the campaign. There is a place in the work for every pat riotic American.
 Without this kind of widespread cooperation, We never shall win our battle against forest fires. We need the help of volunteer plane spot ters, of persons on the lookout for efforts to set fires in the woods. But above all, the greatest aid that most private citizens can give is to be careful with matches, with their smoking materials, with fire in any form, when they go into the woods.
 T want to say this to every one of you. We are counting on you to help win the wartime battle against forest fires. We need your help, and l am sure you will give it. Pro- tecting our forests from fire means helping to win the war, and help ing to win the neaca aftaruard