Evening star., 1942-04-07
Jones Denies
DeIayinPushing
Rubber Plans
100000 Tons to Be
Turned Out Annually,
Secretary Testifies
BY the Associated Press.

Secretary Of Commerce Jones
said today there had been no de-
lay In development Of synthetic
rubber by the Government, add
ing that there were now engage
ments for domestic manufactur-
ing facilities sufficient to produce
more than 100000 tons Of syn
thetic rubber annually.
Testifying before the Senate De-
fenSe Investigating Committee. Sec
retary Jones said this rate of pro-
duction could be readily increased
if necessary, but declared that "even
with this production. civilians must
conserve tires and rubber in order
to meet our military needs"
I'VE have persistently worked at
the problem of acquiring and pro-
ducing rubber" Secretary Jones de-
clared. There has been no delay; {;
on the contrary, the program has
been pushed"
Many Problems Solved.
Replying to earlier testimony by
william L. Bait, chief of the War
Production Boards materials divi-
sion, that Secretary Jones overruled
In 1910 recommendations of the De-
fense Commission for a 100, ,000-ton
production program, the Secretary
declared that program had in fact
been met.
When the commissions recon-
mendations were turned over to the
Reconstruction Finance Corp. In the
fall of 1910, Secretary Jones said,
there were many unsolved problems
to be met, but by May 10, 1s41, con-
tracts were entered into for plants
with a total capacity of $1,000 tons
In addition, he said, the Du Pont
Co. is completing at Louisville a
neoprene plant with a capacity Of
10000 tons, and the Government is
now buying the plant.
Du Pont. he testified, has another
plant at Deepwater, N. j., with a
capacity Of approximately 10000
tons, and the Goodrich Rubber Co.
has a plant at Akron with a ca
pacity Of approximately 10000 tons.
Rubber Stockpile Improved.
Some Of the other companies are
making small amounts" he said,
so that the recommendations Of
Messrs. Bait and Stettinius (E. R.
Stettinius, jr., formerly Of the De-
fense Commission was met"
Secretary Jones said that until he
read Mr.. Bats testimony, he had
believed the r. F. C. was following
the recommendations Of the COM
mission in the synthetic rubber pro-
gram.
Not only" he said, did the
r. F. 9. undertake to provide ex-
perimental manufacturing facilities
recommended by Mr.. Stettinius,
but we have a much better stock
pile of natural rubber on hand than
1t was contemplated we would have
when Mr.. Stettinius wrote the Presi-
dent, September IL, 1910.
Furthermore, there were plenty
Of unsettled questions delivered u.
by Mr.. Bait. The members of hi;
National Defense Council were
themselves not in agreement or
what to dc or how to do 1t.
Replies to Questions Written.
Beyond question, the whole
process was in state of flux. Any
responsible Government department
undertaking the building of syn
thetic rubber plants without first
making a careful investigation OF
all these questions would have been
subject to very great criticism"
In written replies to questions
submitted by the committee in ad-
vance Of the hearing Secretary Jones
said that "the patent situation nat
uraIy prolonged the negotiations,
and that "only recently was salts
factory solution worked out for the
pooling Of all patents"
The Secretary said all of the plants
in the original program would be
in production this year, one before
July l, two before September / and
one before the end of the year
assuming materials are available as
required"
Were the Dutch and British
reluctant to release stocks and raise
percentages of the base quotas (be-
fore December y, and why?" he
was asked.
Rubber Shipments Continue.
Il could not say they were reluc-
tant to release stocks sufficient to
provide the United States with a
reasonable stockpile," he replied,
"but apparently they did not want
the quotas increased to such an
extent that the postwar market
would be seriously affected"
Secretary Jones said the Nation S
stockpile Of natural rubber had in
creased from 40, 0,143 long tons Decem-
Der 81, 1910, to 342,101 long tons
March 20, 1912, including an increase
Of 87,045 tons since December Z, 1941.
On that date, he testified, a sub
stantial amount of rubber was await
ing shipment, and practically all of
this rubber was shipped prior to
December 81, 1941."
He added that since December 7,
1877 1856 tons have been shipped to