Evening star., 1942-03-24
Rubber Plan
Rejection Laid
ToPresident
Bott Testifies on
Production Program
Offered in 1910
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Senate Investigators heard
testimony today that the De-
tense Advisory Committee urged
on President Roosevelt on Sep
tember II, 1910, that facilities for
production of 100000 tons OF
synthetic rubber annually be
constructed at once, but that the
recommendation was rejected.
The testimony was given to the
Senate Defense Investigating Com
mittee by William L. Bait, director
OF materials for the War Production
Board, who headed a committee
which made a survey of the rubber
situation in 1910.
Mr.. Bait said the committees rec
ommendation was based on a COM
pilation Of offers by various COM
panies to engage in synthetic rub
Der production.
Difference Of Opinion.
There developed, however, a "dif-
ference Of opinion" Mr.. Bait said,
between the committee on the one
hand and Jesse Jones, Federal loan
administrator, on the other, as to
"the necessity for that large a pro-
gram at the time" He added that
he believed Mr.. Jones was supported
by the President in his view.
Mr.. Jones has testified, I believe
before this committee, or At least
has made 1t clear publicly" Mr.. Bait
said, that in the discussions be-
tween him and the President that
program was considered larger than
was necessary"
Excerpts From Recommendation.
Excerpts from the Defense Com
missions recommendations, signed
by E r. Stettinius, jr., were read
into the record by counsel for the
Senate committee
Writing to the President, Mr..
Stettinius said that II the Govern
ment believed there was any pos
sibility OF the Nations rubber supply
being shut of, synthetic rubber
plants should be built now"
The proposed expansion program,
the letter said, would meet the then
existing defense needs. but would
require II to Is months to carry
out.
Mr.. Bait told the committee that
the Defense Commission had only
advisory powers. and 1t at first at
tempted to aid private companies in
obtaining loans from the Recon-
struction Finance Corp individually
in order to finance synthetic rubber
plant construction.
Turned Over to Jones.
Asserting that this resulted In q
"cross-purpose approach" Mr.. Bait
testified that Mr.. Jones suggested
1t would be better to turn the whole
thing over to him." and this was
done.
Secretary Jones. Mr.. Bait said. be-
lieved that some synthetic rubber
should be developed. but he thought
We were too pessimistic." The loan
administrator believed, Mr.. Bait
added, that to enter an "untried
field" on so large a scale at once
was "unduly wasteful."
Mr.. Bait acknowledged that it
was "a very large gambling step
we were proposing"
The witness estimated that the
1910 proposal would have cost $780,
600 900 to carry out.
Knudsen Memorandum Read.
Chairman Truman Of the commit
tee read a memorandum written on
May 8, 1s4l, and signed by William
s. Knudsen, former director of the
Once Of Production Management.
expressing the view that facilities
for production Of 10000 tons OF syn
thetic rubber annually be ordered
and that the remainder of the 10O,-
00O-ton program be held in abey-
ance for a few months until certain
engineering problems had been
worked out.
Mr.. Bait said that before the
emergency became apparent, the
Goodrich Co. made substantial pro-
gress in the development of the syn
thetic product.
In answer to questions concerning
any possible blame for failure to
push the program with greater in
tensity, Mr.. Bait asserted:
There was wide difference Of
opinion throughout the country in
June, 1910, as to how fast the de-
fense program should go ahead. I
don't want to be put into the posi-
ton of criticizing any one, for peo-
pie who live in glass houses should
not throw stones. There were nu-
merous decisions to which I was
party that I now bitterly regret, be-
cause those decisions showed dis
tincuy a short-sighted point of view.
Over a period Of q few years we ex-
ported 10000, 900 tons Of prime melt
ing scrap which We now need.
didn't oppose that"
Mr.. Bait said the current syn
thetic program could not be accom-
plished unless priorities over every
thing else were given. He said a w.
p B. order OF March meant that
all needed materials for the plants
would get priority over everything
with the possible exception Of the
repair of battleships."
Jops at Peak of GLORY,
Chinese Spokesman Snve