The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-08-06
NEEDOF RUBBER
MAY De FELT
SOON IN j. 8.
Great Britain Controls 81 Per
Cent of World Supply, Says
Commerce Expert.
BY JAMES X. POLLOCK.
Cosmopolitan News Service.

WILLIAMSTOWN. Mass. Aug
| 6.-With 80 per cent of the crude
rubber used in the United States,
either produced or controlled by
British firms. DR.. H. N. White
ford, of the United States Depart
ment of Commerce. who is attend
ing the Institute of Politics here,
said today that rubber shortage
is certain within five years unless
immediate steps are taken to in
crease the number of rubber plan
tatiOnS.
DIR. Whiteford is now engaged in
investigation for the Government
the possibilities of developing rub
Der growing areas which would
furnish an adequate supply to the
United States without danger of
interruption He believed the diff
ficulty of procuring crude rubber
is one of the most dangerous prob.
lens the United States has to face
in the field of raw materials. and
that it is high time to take action.
Inasmuch as rubber is one of the
Indispensable products of the pres
'ent civilization. and since rubber
assumes added importance in time
of war. careful attention. he said.
should be paid to the question of
supplies.
Area Restricted.
Before the area of plantation
rubber" explained DR.. Whiteford,
'most Of the worlds product came
from scattered trees. covering an
area about two-thirds the size of
the United States. Today it comes
mostly from British Malaga. Cey-
Ion. Sumatra and Java, comprising
total area of 290, 900 square miles.
or about $4,000 square miles larger
than Texas. The total acreage OF
the area which is devoted to rubber
plantations. is estimated at about
5000 square miles. or in point of
plantations is estimated at about
cover a state the size of Connec-
ticut.
1.-THE annual employment of up.
wards of 100000 laborers has been
necessary to lay and maintain
these plantations. With a popu-
lation of 100000 within the plan.
tation rubber producing regions.
S5,0O0,000 of which is in Java.
combined with the Tamil labor of
Southern India and the heavy
populated regions of Southern
China to draw upon. abundant and
to the present time, and this. i'll
cultural and commercial industries
in the same regions require heavy
labor supplies.
"In the AmazoO and other re-
gions in the tropics where the
climate conditions seem favorab BILE
to the growth of rubber, the pOpu-
lation is not dense The higher
price of labor is consequently an
unfavorable factor. but other com
pensation factors may be found
that will overcome this handicap.
In the Amazon Valley region the
decline of the rubber industry has
caused widespread unemployment.
The present population numbers
nearly 100000 and this. together
with the chance recruiting addi-
tional labor from the more heavily
populated states of the drier re-
gions of Northwestern Brazil and
perhaps from other countries. would
give sufficient labor for the, be
ginning. of a fair sized plantation
industry, especially as the govern
ments concerned have expressed
themselves as willing to offer
favorable concessions.
Seek u. s. Capital.
at is hoped that way NAV be
found. in some of these countries,
to start rubber plantation indus
try either by the investment Of
American capital or by way of in
ducing the local governments 20
encourage their own people to en-
gage in rubber tree planting. These
latter Possibilities should not be
overlooked. for % per cent of the
rubber that comes from British
Malaga is raised on small holdings
of twenty-five acres and under.
Fully ~ per cent of the Dldnta-
ton acreage Of the world is now
in British territory and an addi-
tionaI 10 per cent is controlled by
British capital The remainder is
in Dutch territory and controlled
by the Dutch. All told. the Ameri-
can COMPANIES hold in the neigh
horhood Of about 100000 acres or
about per cent of the total. On
the other hand the United States
consumes upwards Of IS per cent
of the worlds production.
"PrOducing countries have 1t
within their power to raise prices
to unreasonable figures by control
Of the output or by increased eX-
port duties.
Effect Of Shortage.
"In war times the condition
might be such that the United
States would be cut off entirely
from supplies. Also an uncon-
trollabIe disease might wine out in
a short time all the existing plan
tatiOns. 1t was the case with cOf-
fee in the same region at one time.
1.-THE fear of low prices of rubber
is the main factor that prevent
capital from making investments
in new plantations at the present
time 1t is estimated that the
present plantation area is suffi-
cient in size to supply the needs
of the market for four or five
years to come. 1t should be noted.
however. that it takes five or six
years to bring rubber in bearing.
and eight to ten years to bring
it into full bearing. The present
rate Of increase in consumption.
unless additional plantations are
started soon. the United States will
be facing a possible shortage OF