Evening star., 1921-12-11
BY EDWARD MARSHALL.
New York. December 10. 1921.
1 S THE prophets of evil, disas-
\ ter and the famine Of essen
Hal fh{N0a l,f t.

| resources on the verge Of their ex-
haustion? They are not. Especially,
the metorist need fear exhaustion
neither Of rubber for his tires nor
fuel for his engine. Read and learn
from the words OF DR.. D. T. Mac
Dougal. ono Of tho worlds most dis
| tinguished scientists. upon the sub
ject.
Especially this eminent student in
the world Of plant life says we need
not worry about rubber. that product
which the pessimists have been de-
claring soon would be SO scarce with
out immense expenditure the auto
motive industry would perish from
the earth: that is, we need not worry
II we work.
I'VE shall have rubber in sufficient
quantities to meet our needs" he said,
without the slightest hesitation. "and
believe that in the days to come
our needs will be ten times-a hun
.dred times-as great as they are now.
III 1t should be decided in the cities.
Tor example, that rubber pavements
for the streets. which can be taken up
when worn. as blankets might be
moved. and replaced by new ones be-
tween midnight and daylight, Will be
worth the effort, I believe that we
shall find tho rubber out of which to
mako them. And such Is my In
structed faith in nature that 1 feel
| sure that reasonable wisdom will sup
ply our other future needs as gener-
| ously."
1t Is to rubber and It's production
from plants other than the generally
known caoutchouc that Prof. Mac
Dougal has been giving his attention
recently under the entirely non-com-
| mercial auspices of the Carnegie
Foundation.
*1**
1.-THE man who owns a fIivver, the
other chap who rides in a big car.
| as we'll as the innumerable and grow
ing host who have come to depend on
| automotive vehicles for the expansion
of their business, will be cheered and
fascinated by his optimistic views
and special Information. Moreover, he
Is certain now. because of recent ex-
periments, that the worlds supply of
rubber can be drawn from lands
which now lie waste, thus actually
| adding this vast new asset to the
worlds total wealth, and, IL neces-
sary, releasing such rich lands as now
are used in rubber cultivation for
other purposes.
This first announcement of these
facts gives this amazing interview
much added interest. Daniel Trembly
MacDougal is one Of the most distin-
guished Of American scientists. In
diana claims him for a son, but his
usefulness has been world wide. He
began his distinctive career as assist
ant director Of the New York Botani-
to Washington to tako charge Of the
! researches Of the Carnegie Institution
in the deld OF botanical science.
| For this work the Desert Labora-
tory had been established at Tucson
in 1903. Later q coastal laboratory
4
! rangements were made for full coll
laboration with researchers in vari-
GUS parts Of America and Europe.
In all this work DR.. MacDougal has
played a part which is found to be
Of paramount Importance when an
seem extremely modest when de-
scribed by him himself. With his
staff, he has carried out desert re-
search work wherever desert areas
occur In America, and also in Algeria,
Egypt, Australia and South Africa.
When the English settlers came to
what is now this nation" said DR..
MacDougal, they found temperature
and soil that would produce corn and
game, and these were all the natural
resources that they looked for be-
yond tho spreading forests which
would give them wood and fuel and
shelter. The Spaniards came here to
ind gold, and found 1t. Each new
succeeding generation has demanded
of America new things. None ever
has been disappointed. think none
ever will be.
Treasures have developed in exact
! accordance with the meaning at the
time Of the word treasure Now we
have new ideas Of the meaning of that
word. Some there are who talk OF
the exhaustion Of our natural re-
sources, which are our greatest treas
ures, but We whose field is science are
beginning to feel sure that this need
not occur, that new sources Of supply
continually are to be found by those
who realize and search and under
stand.
This is absolutely true in the fields
of agriculture and engineering-the
ono being that Of raw material pro-
duction and tho other that Of Its
utilization.
|tsI17HEN was q, boy about one
w fourth Of the United States
was shown in school Biographies az
desert. Four-nfths Of all that area
since then has been proved to be
suitable for human habitation and
the establishment Of various kinds OF
Industries.
I'VE have developed lands once
known as desert until they are at
present moro productive than that
land which then was known as the
nations very best. In irrigated coun-
try water is directed to q selected
-