Evening star., 1914-12-26
NCL|SHEMBARCO HURTS
j. S. RUBBER BUSINESS
Unless British Consent to Partial
Removal Many American Work
men Will Become Idle.

Official statement of the situation
confronting the American rubber man.
ufacturing industry as n result of the
embargo placed by the British govern
mene on the expectation of crude rub
Der from Great Britain and her colonies
is given by Harry S. Vorhis. secretary
of the Rubber Club of America. This
club includes the leading rubber manu-
facturers and importers of the United
States.
Roughly speaking, the embargo cuts
of over so per cent of the normal sup
ply of crude rubber required by the
industry in the United States" says
Mr.. vorhis. Unless England consents
to at least a partial removal of TINS
embargo at an early date 1T VIII mean
many idle men in rubber maunfa'tur-
ing centers sud n substantial increase
in the price of all articles manu-
featured of rubber, from autoinoniie
tires to rubber bands.
..rhe reason for Great Britain's dras-
tic action is to he found IN her de,
termination to prevent Germany ana
her allies absolutely from obtaining
any of the crude rubber grown on the
great plantations in the British coio-
MES of Ceylon and the federated Malay
states.
Importance of Rubber.
"The Importance of rubber in the
present war is evident from the eN-
teasive use of automobiles for all KINDS
of transporr. as well as rubber foot
wear, ground sheets. clothing and
balloon fabrics.
"Germany Is willing to pay almost
any price to obtain crude rubber. and
it is only natural that Great Britain
should take every precaution TO pre-
vent rubber from reaching her enemies.
Nevertheless. it is felt by the American
rubber industry that her interests
would be thoroughly protected by
guarantees against the re-exportation
of rubber which both manufacturers
and importers are willing 10 give.
"A special committee of rubber man
ufacturers and importers has been
,yorlsin.r with the state Department at
Washington, and the State Department
is thoroughly alive to the Importance
of the situation. Owing, however, 10
the uncompromisinE attitude OF the
British government. nothing has beeii
ACCOMPLISHED, and the industry ana the
consuming public faces serious SIT
uation. .
Unlike the ma jor.-y of our American
tirely dependent upon crude rubber I'M
ported from foreign countries IN 1aGt'
the rubber industry is probably the
larges, business in this country wholly
dependent on raw material Drought
from abroad.
"At the present time the only sources
of supply for American manufacturers
are South America, Mexico ana AFRICA.
The Brazilian rubbers are normally
considered more expensive and the Al
r;a nd rnbDerS
ferior quality. Six or seven years aso
the greater part of the crude rupper
used in this country came from Brazil.
On account of the increased consump.
tion. due largely to the manufacture of
automobile tires. production since that
time has been increased by the adai-
ton of the cultivated rubber OF the iar
east, until at the present ilme op per
lean factories comes from the BRUSH
empire. During this time consumption
has fully kept pace with the increased
supplies.
Uses 10000 Tons Annually.
The normal consumption OF rubber
in the United States at the present
time is about $4,000 tons annually. On
account of this great increase in cost
of rubber and its collateral results the
increased cost to the industry is ap-
proXimately quarter OF lniilioh uoi
lars per day.
at is not only in the increased prices
of rubber goods that the people of the
United States will suffer through this
seemingly unwarranted embargo. Full
ly f25,00O people are directly or indi-
rectly employed in the rubber manu-
featuring industry. Already. owing TO
the slowing UP of mills due to the lack
of supplies. it has been necessary to
law off. a good many employees.
'In the city of Akron alone. known
throughout the country as the Rubber
city. $4,000 people are employed in the
rubber factories. Pennsylvania. Della
ware. New York, New Jersey, Connec-
ticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts
are important rubber manufacturing
states.