Evening star., 1925-07-26
RUSH NEW EFFORTS
TO SECURE RUBBER
Agriculture Officials Would
Grow Liberal Supplies
Under American Flag.
BY HARDEN COLFAX.

Soaring prices of rubber, controlled
by a British monopoly, have stirred
the United States Government to re-
doubled effort to promote rubber pro
duction under the American flag. The
Department of Agriculture Is actively
following a promising vein of research
and experiment which, II is hoped,
may lead to the gradual Introduction
of rubber growing in the southern
most section of the United States.
Other plants than the generally
known rubber plant yield gum that
shows promise of being made service
able as rubber and it is to these large
ly that the Department is turning
Rubber itself can be grown in Florida,
as shown by Henry Ford's little patch
of rubber trees on his plantation, but
as vet it's cost is too great TO bring 1t
into successful competition with Brit
ish rubber.
New Supply Is Sought.
While the Government is going
ahead with hopes and plans for MAX
ing American motorists and other rub
Der users less dependent upon the FOR
eign- grown commodity. individual rub
ber manufacturers, Ford among them,
are looking to Liberia and Haiti as po-
tential sources of rubber supply for
the American market. Harvey fire
stone at the present time is nursing
an abandoned rubber plantation In
Liberia and considering the adNlsa-
bility of planting rubber trees on
900 .000-acre concession granted MN
| by the Liberian government.
, Rubber grows in Liberia. The plan
| tation taken over by Mr.. Firestone
was planted originally by British In
| terests who failed to maintain then
! contractual obligations with the Lloer-
| ian government, which, in turn, look
over the plantation. If reports re-
| ceived here from accurate sources are
| correct the American manufacturer
may have as many millions OF acres
| in Liberia for growing rubber as ne
| wishes.
Work in Haiti Pushed.
! While the Liberian experiment Is
gathering impetus, surveying and eX'
perimental parties are reported 10 DE
working I'm Haiti with a view TO es
| tablishing, If practicable, new source
| of rubber supply in that fertile little
! island
Prices have increased fully 40 per
cent. IL Is estimated since the first
| Of the year because OF the British
monopoly, and the time is rapidly ap'
preaching in the view of Washington
| officials, when American consumers
must be relieved of the unjusifled
| profit exacted by the foreign produc'
| ers. The practicable way, II is be,
| lieved, is 10 begin the cultivation OF
| the rubber plant in such sections OF
| the United States as can grow IT.
Would Adopt Sugar Plan.
That this may be done is proved
| by the American sugar industry, Agri
culture Department officials assert
| In that case. thanks to a growing sup
| ply of America n grown sugar, the
| consumer in the United States is grad
ually becoming less dependent on for
! eign supply. Cuban sugar still domi
| mates the American market, but un
| der a protective tariff the domestic
| industry is making strides toward
making American consumers OF sugar
| less dependent on the foreign product
/ In the case of rubber, American
| consumers, il is pointed out, are
wholly at the mercy of foreign powers