Evening star., 1942-04-01

for reclaiming S& 1eM Al1E4
old rubber and David Lawrence.
making synthetic rubber.
The alarm that has been spread
may have had salutary effect in
making the auto users tire-con-
scious, and to that extent it has
served good purpose. But the fears
60 too far.
Thus the experts now say that
there are available, or shortly will
be, facilities to recover from scrap
rubber an amount equal to about
$4,000 tons a year. American ci-
villain consumption can get along
fairly well on that, plus some syn
thetic rubber, for which plants now
are being built.
For military purposes, the Gov
ernment has wisely Communicated
all available crude rubber, and the
stock pile is of such size that the
supply Is expected to last long
enough to take care of our needs
until such time as synthetic rubber
in large quantity is being made at
the new plants.
Might Limit Speed.
The size of the crude rubber stock
pile almost equals the biggest year
of American consumption, SO it can
readily be spread to take care of
military needs. The synthetic tires
may not permit of speeds in excess
of IS miles an hour and may be less
serviceable than the tires now being
used on American cars bought in
l941, but they may equal the per-
formance of tires in use decade
ago. That means they will serve the
primary needs OF normal transporta-
ton.
The controversy over alleged re-
tardation of the synthetic rubber
program doubtless will go on for
some time, because tires are so
widely used and hardships incurred
are bound to raise issues OF where
the responsibility should be CEN
tered for the present dilemma.
An examination of many Of the
documents, published and unpub-
lished, which cover the history OF
the problem as 1t originated IN the
defense agencies indicates that pri-
vate rubber companies were at all
times anxious to push the develop
ment of synthetic rubber because OF
the huge domestic market. But at
the same time there was always the
specter of the BritiSh-Dutch cartel
which could overnight reduce the
price to 10 cent a pound or less and
knock the props from under any
American synthetic industry, Whlch
at the start could hardly manutac-
ture for less than 10 cents q pound.
Tariff in Picture.
The problem of a tariff to project
the domestic industry came into tne
nicture and was considered by Presl-
dent Roosevelt as a possible after
the-var barrier to the reciprocity
policy and reduction OF trade par
riers.
Edward Stettinius presented to Mr.
Roosevelt or September s, l94o, tne
whole question with the statement
that time was short and that Amer
ica's rubber supply might be cut on
from the Far East. He referred 10
the possible use Of a Government
.fnanced program as means o1
keening a ceiling on Far Eastern
rubber prices and recommended InaG
nIants be built at once to make 1Oo,-
900 tons of synthetic rubber. lnls
would have cost s5O,Oo0,000 and not
500 900 900 as was by error men
toned in these dispatches the otner
day. But there was no mistake ABOUT
the fact that the President fixed the
amount of money to be spent at
$25,O0000O.
At that time it was believed this
would produce much less rubber than
eventually was realized. For 1t Is
now estimated that the approprla-
tion will bring at least capacity OF
10000 tons. This, together WIN
about s2O0o0,OOO put up by private
companies, gave America good
start on synthetic rubber production
which has since been increased 10 a
s75O, 900 900 program.
British Expected Supply.
1t is doubtful whether in the au-
tumn of 1910 or even early 1941 Con-
eress would have appropriated any
such large sum for synthetic rubber
alone. 1t is doubtful whether the
alternative policy-buying more from
the BritiSh-Dutch cartel-Would
have met the situation, as there was
not sufficient tonnage to transport
excessive quantities. More than that,
the British themselves did not be-
lieve the Far Eastern supply route
would be cut off. The truth is nobody
believed the Japanese would attack
America and cut off the Far East till
the attack on Pearl Harbor came IN
December, l94l.
Since that time contracts have
been let rapidly and Government
financing of plants and arrange
ments with a couple dozen COM
panies has proceeded at breakneck
speed. Maybe the President might
have been ready to approve the re-
quest of Mr.. Stettinius of the Ma
tional Defense Council for the full
$50 100000 if he had had the slight