Evening star., 1925-08-02

comes from the East Indies Sugar was be-
coming staple, an essential in the life OF the
world, just rubber Is today. During the
Napoleonic wars France and much of Europe
were shut off from the supply of cane sugar.
and Napoeon encouraged the growth of the
sugar beet. The beet became the solution of
the >cane sugar monopoly. If the Department
of Agriculture. through its experiments, can
find plant from which rubber can be readily
produced. and develop a method of production
which can be substituted for the Para rubber
tree outside of the Middle East, or to find
found in American territory, perhaps the rub
ber monopoly will be smashed as effectively as
was that of cane sugar.
In Danger From Pests.
Still another reason exists for this attempt
able areas for the growth of the Para rubber
tree outside of the Middle East, or to find
other rubber bearing plants. History has shown
the disasters which pests-pant diseases or in
sects-have wrought agricultural crops.
Should a pest descend upon the rubber plan
tations of the Middle East the great source of
supply might be tremendously curtailed or
even wiped out.
The Department of Agriculture has sent
expedition to the Amazon valley to obtain def
mite data for comparing the conditions of pro-
duction and methods Of extraction applied to
the wild rubber trees with those OF the East
Indian plantations. The Amazon valley is the
original habitat of the Para rubber tree. Expert
ments being conducted by the department
in the dry regions of Texas, Arizona and Cali
fornia where several other plants containing
rubber related substances of value In rub
Der manufacture are found. The department
plantations in Florida where there are large
areas of unused land. In Haiti. too. where rub
ber.producing trees were planted 20 years
ago and being used for shade in a cocoa
plantation. investigations are under way to de-
termine the possibilities of commercial produc-
tion of rubber.
The American rubber manufacturers are
making plans to protect themselves from the
British monopoly. Some of them are negotiating
for large tract of land in Liberia. 1t is hoped
that they will have million acres planted
there, in Brazil or the Philippines, within a
comparatively short time. The Brazilian gov
ernment is making liberal inducements to rub
Der interests to start plantations there.
Rubber From the Philippines.
Already more than 100, 900 trees are being tap
ped for rubber asilan Island in the Philip
pines and a high-grade of rubber is being
produced. Thousands of square miles capable
of growing rubber trees available these
islands. Rubber trees in great numbers today
are growing wild the Island of Mindanao.
Indeed, the Philippine Islands may prove the
solution in large part of the rubber problem,
far the United States is concerned.
The Rubber Association of America. at
meeting in June. in Akron, Ohio, decided to
open negotiations with the Dutch government
in effort to increase Dutch rubber produc
tion and planting in the Dutch East Indies in
1t has been learned, however. that British in
terests have bought up large proportion of
the production Of the Dutch plantations. which
would prevent much immediate relief from
this source