Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-19
Cause of Brazilian Revolutions
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

the land in other directions But the
fact stands out that this preoccupAtion
with gold was O disaster which held
back Brazil's general economic de-
velopnent for at least q century.
The second chapter is the story Of
Brazilian rubber. The first explorers
found Indians playing with balls made
of Q resilient substance and discovered
they were made from the sun-dried sap
Of certain trees. A few uses for this
strange substance we're found, but not
many. Nodded overshoes and q few
other objects were made, including
erasers, but so little was known about
rubber that as late as 1850 British inn-
ports were but T61 900 pounds.
Then an American, Charles Good
year, discovered q process for vulcan
izing rubber. This opened wide new
avenues of usefulness. It was discov-
cred that all manner of useful articles
OF commerce could be manufactured
from the hardened substance.
Rubber Brings Fresh Impetus.
A rubber boom began in Brazil. All
the rubber in the world had its source
there. The rise OF the industry was
swift and brilliant. The jungleS were
entered BY the most arduous gatherers.
Towns in the jungle and such ports as
Iquitos, Manaos and Para sprang into
full life overnight World attention
was conferred on this fresh source Of
what seemed quick and easy wealth.
There was tremendous speculation in
rubber shares and many an adventurer
went out TO Brazil to return rich or die
In the Amazon Swannps Of fever
Once again the whole nation Of Braxkl,
which had been in sort of economic
trance since the end Of the gold days,
turned its attention to q fresh spring
Of riches. The nation again leaned on
q single prop-rubber. The rubber
forests did not become exhausted as the
gold mines had, but an Englishman had
taken some sprigs of the Hevea Bra
xiliensis home to England and they
were planted In the Botanical Gardens
at Kew. There they throve and later
cuttings were taken out to British
| Malaga.
The rubber tree grows rapidly and
the Malayan climate was as suitable to
/ its propagation as that of Brazil. Not
only did cultivated plantations spring
| up speedily, but seedlings went Wild, 80
that the Malayan jungies grew rubber
trees almost as thickly as those Of
Brazil.
Better cultivation, better preparation
Of rubber for the market and better
craftsmanship soon drove Brazil rubber
| U14 b1Ac WO11Q uld4ACb &L10 tA4C SO0AOG VI
wealth on which Brazil had leaned for
some years succumhed to competition.
/ Brazil's rubber monopoly was lost.
still lesson of depending for chief
and almost only source Of national
wealth on single commodity was not
taken to heart. It was found that
coffee might probably, very probably,
be planted in Brazil. The crop proved
another bonanza, so once again Brazil
turned to o single reliance. Now, with
so much coffee on hand that it Is being
dumped into the streams for lack of q
market and with the nation as q whole
prepared for no other general industry,
the riches Of Brazil once more have
gone into eclipse and the people are
bankrupt.
| After the present disorders. arising
chiefly from the unrest caused By
economic depression, have passed, Brazil
viii continue to produce vast quantities
OF coffee. It Is possible that these three
lessons win suggest to Brazilian leaders
that q few eggs be put in some other
| basket.