Evening star., 1925-12-27
BY WILL j.. KENNEDY.

ON other nations. nOtdblN lne
British. eXtort enormous and
uSurious profits from the
United States on essential
raw materials of which they
have practical monopoly-rubber, cof-
fee. silk. nitrates, potash. quinlne,
iodine, tin sisal. wood pulp ana
quicksilver-will be the subject of
study by subcommittee of the House
committee on interstate and foreign
commerce Immediately upon the re
sumption of legislative duties after the
Christmas holidays.
This Government. which has suf-
fered for years under the system of
"hoid-up" on essential raw materials
which we import. is determined to
ferret out the means and methods
of the control of production and eX-
portation. and to pass whatever
legislative remedies may seem effec-
tive to stop them. besides adopting
conservation and thrift measures to
hold down requirements.
During the war days Specla lists were
al their wits ends To get for the
United States Government supplies of
such imperatiVe wartime needs as
cinchona bark, tin and nitrate. More
rrcentlN We have had emha rgoes and
threatened embargoes on wood pulp
from Canada coffee from Brazil and
crude rubber from East India. Sec
retary Hoover. who during the war
period had first hand information re-
gardinc some of these 'hold-ups.
has been having careful and extensive
studies made on all of these com
mptlities during the time he has been
executive officer of the Department of
Commerce. 1t has been extremely
fortunate for the people of the United
States that man of his broad and
y IL -, i
foresight has been in a position to
meet these international bucca neers
and Illustrate their design to some
extent.
House Hearings to Be Held
Early in January the subcommittee
OF the House committee on foreign
commerce will start hearings with
view 10 making recommendations
to Congress. The subcommittee will
consist of the six ranking Republican MS
and the three ia anking Democrats on
the committee. with Representative
James s Parker of New York as
chairman. House Leader John O.
TilSon of Connecticut and Secretary
Hoover will be the first witnesses.
Harvey F'irestone. Henry Ford. Will
liam ]. O'Neil of Akron, Ohio. and
others most intimately acquainted
with the rubber price hold-up will
be asked To advise with the commit
tee
Administration leaders. prompted
by Secretary Hoover's warnings. are
awakened to the urgency Of govern
mental action TO meet emharg rgOes and
price fixing Speaker Longworth is one
Of those who have been making
personal studies of the situation. and
for this purpose visited the largest
rubber plants in this country
Spirited debate in the House when
the resolution for investigation
fathered by House Leader Tilson, was
brought up showed a unanimous
agreement on both sides of the House
Democratic as we'll as Republican,
that some such action should be taken
The Democratic debaters contended
that the study should be made by the
ways and means committee because it
involved tariff question. They argued
that these hold-ups We're retaliation
The Republicans showed a firm de
termination not to allow the tariff is
sue TO be opened up. although some
prominent Republicans think the tariff
schedules should be overhauled Rep-
resentative Cordell Hull of Tennessee.
former Democratic national campaign
manager, charged bad faith against
Great Britain with regard to alleged
manipulation of crude rubber.
Vast Tribute to Britain
House Leader Tilson charges that
S.oh.00000O annually is being paid hv
Americans in tribute to Great Britain
because of that governments control
or rubber prices. Mr.. Tilson put into
the Congressional Record a statement
showing that rubber brokers in Eng
land are rolling in wealth extorted
from Americans, that the British are
laughing in their sleeves at us. This
statement from the Overseas Daily
Mail discusses the rubber gamble :"
and describes what the industry
mea ms To Great Britain"
He emphasi that about three
quarters of the worlds rubber is
bought by the United States. and the
greater part of the profit on that rub
Der goes to British shareholders.
though Dutch and native owners take
4 GOOD slice. The British press article
after these confessions, saws: The big
tribute annually wrung from British
taxpayers for the interest and install
nentS on our American war debt is
Tor the time being at any rate. extract
ed from American pockets in addi
ttonal profits on rubber" Mr.. TiIson
said: In the language of Marc An
tony, over the body of Caesar. This
is the most unkindeSt cut of all and
what follows would seem. from the
BrltlSh point of view. to preclude all
hope for the future as far as the
United States is concerned but paints
rosy picture for the benefit of the
investor in rubber shares"
Extensive Studies Made.
Secretary Hoover. with a long-range
view OF what was coming has had
extensive studies made of the pIanta-
tion rubber industry in the middle
east and OF wild rubber production in
the Amazon Valley. and of possibilities
for para rubber production in the
Philippine Islands. In this IL is
stressed that the machinery for en-
couraGinc the planting OF rubber by
FilipinoS already exists and that the
Government is already committed to
plan Of cOlonizing certain regions
and that rubber planting might fur
ther success of this plan. He also
SAYS that while there are many diff
culties in the way Of harvesting wild
rubber, this source of supply will
not be overlooked if the British hold
up continues
In the meantime. while WAYS and
means are being developed to combat
the rubber extortion, Secretary Hoover
has started a drive to reduce rubber
waste with the cooperation of the
National Rubber Association and the
National Automobile Chamber OF
Commerce. Better utilization of rub
Der is sought 70 free this country
from the imposition of unrea sOnable