El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-10-06

4 KRON, Ohio. October s-Since
n the outbreak Of the great war
- - in Europe. the little city OF
Akron has become one OF the impor-
tant manufacturing centers Of the
world It IS the chief rubber city
Of the United States. Il manufac-
lures more than half OF all the rub
her goods made in this country and
more than one-third Of all the rubber
made by the world. Just now It is
engaged in making rubber supplies
for the Army and Navy. and its
twenty-five factories have been
speeded up by the demands OF the
nation.
Rubber is estimated by the officials
here as the third great necessity TO
our armies in Europe. The first
necessity is food for the soldier, the
eccud is guns and ammunition 70
fight the battles and the third is rub
Der which has 70 do not only with
transp ortatiOn, but with nearly every
other branch Of modern warfare.
Making 2O-OOO,0OO Tires.
Take the matter Of tires. During
my "trip through the great plants
here 1 have found nearly every one
OF them making more or less tires for
the army and the total output for this
year viii be about 20,0OO,0uo There
is one company which makes nothing
but tires It is now turning out 10
600 a DAY, and Is building additions
10 its plant which will make its pro-
duction $4,000 tires daily. This com
pany manufactures tires of all kinds,
from those Of the motor cycle used by
the scouts to the great trucks which
require tires fourteen inches wide and
strong enough 70 carry the heaviest
loads.
The demand for tires is far beyond
the supply. They are among the
greatest of military necessities and
they are eaten UP with the hardest
Of usage. Even the solid tires seldom
average more than 1000 miles and this
is less than one-tenth Of what is eX-
pected Of them for ordinary CONNER
cfa1 PURPOSES. Tt is estimated that
the allies now have in the neighbor-
hood Of $500 motor vehicles of one
kind OF another and that these ma
chimes use several times as many
tires as would be consumed under
peace conditions
At four tires 20 the machine, thls
means that something like 1,SOO,OOG
tires are now being used and this does
not include the increased demands
now that we are 10 put an enorm-
Gus army in Europe We shall have
10 supply not only our own tires, but
aid in Keeping the vehicles used by
cur allies in good condition
100000 Tires for Army Trucks Needed.
As to the demands Of the United
States troops in Europe. IT IS esti-
mated that we shall need at least
100000 motor trucks for the irons
porta ton Of our guns and supplies,
and that the first army Of lr0oe.gpy
will require 10000 trucks, which
means $50. 600 tires. These tires are
now being made here and at the many
other rubber centers Of the United
states They will be shipped TO the
establishments making the trucks.
and as soon as possible the business
will be standardized and the tires
shipped directly TO Europe. 10 be USED
there as there aS the wear and tear
Of the service demand.
In addition 10 the trucks. We shall
have TO keep up in the neighborhood
Of zoo 600 other motor vehicles, in
Guiding cars Of various kinds. hospital
zmbu1auces and motor cycles. The
British army is now using about
100 600 motor cycles. and some OF
them are equipped with side cars after
the fashion Of the little boatlhe car
used with our motor cycles. when
has facetiously been dubbed the
killer" These side cars are
mounted with machine guns and the
weight of the guns rests upon the
rubber tires
one Of the plants I visited was
akiuE tires for sirplanes- These
--f1I be shipped to the various aviation
factories and viii be used for our
fIvinz machines abroad one OF the
largest factories here has been max
ing such tires for the French aerial
fleets which are using annually some
thing like $4,000 machines II is esu-
mated that we shall need more than
100000 machines every year IN order
10 maintain or force Of 10000 ava
tors. and the work is now going on IN
making the tires for the airplanes I'M
der construction Each alrplane mas
two little wheels upon which II
aHghts when II comes down from
the skies. These wheels have to be
Of the strongest rubber in order 70
absorb the shock and soften the land
ing. The very best Of Para rubber
is used for the purpose, and that OF
nature so springy that an airplane
will bounce from thirty 70 sixty feet
into the air on striking the earth
Making Scout Balloons.
Speaking of rubber for use IN the
air two OF the biggest factories here
are making diriEible balloons tor
scouting along the shores and Tor
some distance out at sea These bal
looms are enormous gas bags OF the
very best rubber. The larger ones
are more than q hundred feet IN
circumference and a hundred ana
seventy-ffve feet long They carry
wireless apparatus. and are % SreaI
use in detecting submarines that
come near the coast They are similar
TO what the British call "blimps-
Some OF the blimps are already IN