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(Continued from Page 44) a force for better forestry, a leader to get better state forest laws, a crusader for improved forest fire protection.

By 1940, the Douglas fir lumber industry was engulfed in Europe's war boom. Greeley's job was to prepare the Douglas fir industry for war. The West Coast lumber industry performed a tremendous job all through the war years, especially after the United States became an active participant. Aircraft lumber, ship decking, lumber for the battle fqont, and for troop housing, for crates and packaging and many other uses, including the homefront, was supplied on time. WCLA had a large part in this war effort. Men like Ralph Brown, who retired this year from WCLA after 40 years of service, helped with the U.S. Army engineer's lumber auctions. The Washington, D.C., office under H. V. Simpson became a focal point for Douglas fir industry contacts with civilian and militarv leaders i4 government. A continuous war-time program was maintained to help keep men in the woods and mills. The industry was generally commended for its meritorious record of war accomplishments and many mills were individually recognized with "E" awards.

More than a year before the formal end of the war, industry leaders began plans for aggressive post-war lumber promotion. Funds were collected for a national advertising program to be launched at the end of hostilities. A million dollars was pledged or already in hand. The late Dean Johnson, then WCLA president, and Colonel Greeley spearheaded the program.

Thus the stage was set when Colonel Greeley at war's end finally was allowed to retire as secretary-manager, and H. V. Simpson, with a fine record of service in the nation's capital during the war years, was named executive vice president.

To be more nearly the geographical center of Douglas fir lumber operations, WCLA headquarters were moved from Seattle to Portland in1946 coincident with Simpson's elevation. Harris E. Smith, a veteran WCLA offrcial, was named secretary, and came on to Portland with Simpson and most of the headquarters staff. Ralph Brown was named assistant secretary manager and placed in charge of the Seattle offrce.

Under Simpson's leadership, WCLA emerged in the years since the war as one of the most noted trade groups in the country. A continuing national advertising program in the country's leading home, farm and special group magazines, has been maintained with outstanding success since 1946. Resul'.s from these advertisements have been phenomenal. In some instances as many as 10,000 replies are received over a single weekend in response to keyed advertisements. In each instance, prospective lumber customers write in for free literature, always receive some full-color booklet or pamphlet promoting lumber for homes, schools, churches, commercial and industrial buildings and for farms. Most of its national advertising today is full-page, and full-color. It has won a number of national advertising awards for its outstanding excellence and general efiectiveness. At the annual meeting in March menrbers voted to increase advertising space in order to keep lumber in a better competitive position with other materials.

WCLA, in the years since the war, developed two motion pictures, "The Magic of Lumber" and "Lumber for Homes." Both are in full-color and sound and have been shown to millions of viewers and exhibited by nearly 100 television stations with additional millions in audience' Two more motion pictures are in process of production and will be released this year'

Last year more than 1,500,000 pieces of literature were distributed by WCLA, much of these direct to people who answered advertisements. About 90 separate pieces of literature were kept in print by WCLA. They range from a dozen or more attractive full color lumber promotion pieces through a long list of how-to-do-it booklets, technical books, farm building books, lumber painting booklets, and public relations publications.

New printed publications are being developed every few months to keep abreast of changing market requirements and to keep fresh material available at all times for use by retail and wholesale lumbermen.

One of the first objectives undertaken in the national advertising campaign launched in 1946 was to convince the American consumer that there was an ample supply of timber. Advertisements in the Saturday Evening Post along public relations lines stressed the theme: 'Enough saw timber in the Douglas fir region alone to rebuild every home in America. They told the story of Tree Farms and continuous cropping and forest management, aimed at perPetuating our forests.

The public relations department in the eight ensuing years has kept a steady stream of articles and information flowing to leading national magazines and top-flight writers. It has assisted the creation of nation-wide radio programs' has sponsored a wide variety of newspaper articles and syndicated releases all aimed at helping to merchandise lumber.

Developing goodwill towards the lumber industry has been a never-ending job of the association on loctl, regional and national levels. A school and education department works with school teachers and students to make certain industry's story is told properly to the up-coming generation.

More ancl more, the various departments of the West Coast Lumbermen's Association have become an integral part of the operation plan of our member mills. WCLA now- has an all- ' time highest membership. Traffic, national affairs, technical, building codes, statistical, public relations, education, are all aggressive jobs it handles every day for member mills.

The fight to keep traditional markets for lumber and win new customers is part of the everyday job of all WCLA employees. Pressure from competitors who manufacture substitutes for lumber is constant and must be answered every day. The fight against high freight rates, against unfair building codes that would exclude lumber from many cities, against unfair legislation that would penaltze lumber, all find WCLA on the firing line. Because lumber spends such a small amount nationally compared to its principal competitors, the job of getting maximum value for every dollar spent makes the job even tougher. The organization hasn't a cent to waste or gamble on an unknown experiment. It feels it has to hit hard and as often as possible. One reason why H. V. Simpson finally went to full-color advertising was to get the lumber industry the greatest possible attentior and results from every advertising dollar spent.

Those associated through the years with WCLA in its work for the lumber industry are proud and zealous of its accomplishments. They are proud that they are up-to-date, yes, even advanced in their thinking. They can take just pride in their industry and its product. Believing that is what it takes to make a success, they still think they can lick the world.