Evening star., 1942-09-29
SeapIanes 10 Speed
Rubber From Brazil
Over Dangerous Route
NC Subsidiary Works
Out Plon TO Bring VitoI
Supplies From Jungle
BY LEON PEARSON.

A pioneering JOB in aviation is
about 10 be undertaken in an effort
to speed up exploitation of rubber
from the Amazon Giant seaplanes
will fly back and forth between
Miami and Manaos. rubber capital
OF the New World, taking personnel
and supplies to that Amazonian
city, and bringing rubber out.
Faced with the discouraging fact
that exports from Brazil thus far
have been flop. Rubber Reserve
Corp. a subsidiary of RFC, has
made arrangements with Pan Amer
lean Airways to penetrate the heart
OF the rubber kingdom with giant
Slkorsky planes travelling in a bee
line across the hump of Brazil
This largely will overcome one of
the two principal obstacles to get
ting rubber out of Brazil-trans-
portation. The other obstacle re-
mains, namely, the feudal traditions
OF the area. where landlords hold la
Dor IN practical bondage and dis
courage the improved living condi-
tions which might bring about their
liberation.
Hazardous Route.
The daring air route will follow
straight line from Miami across the
Caribbean Sea to Venezuela and
then strike across the Brazilian jun
giles, stopping at two broad rivers en-
route, the Orinoco and the Rio Ne
gro, before arriving at the broadest
river of them all, the Amazon.
This route is fast and hazardous.
BY striking across the jungles to
Manaos, which lies 1900 miles up
stream from the mouth Of the Am
AEON, the planes will cut to one
third the normal route aroun dthe
eastern hump of Brazil.
The use of flying boats will make
such flights possible without wait
ing for the establishment of air.
flelds. The boats will nestle down
on the three broad rivers which
pierce the jungle-the Orinoco, the
Rio Negro and the Amazon. But
emergency landings will be impos-
sible, since flying boat cannot
come down in the jungle.
1t will be romantic fight. but
Pan American Airways will sell no
tickets for this run. 1t is strictly
Government operation, under char
ter by Rubber Reserve Corp. If
passengers are carried, they will be
officials-personnel for the job of
getting rubber out of the Amazon.
For the most part, however, the
planes will carry supplies-tools
medicines, concentrated foods and
other necessary equipment.
These are the things which WASH
ington officials have found must be
supplied. Offering a good price was
not enough. That was tried at first,
but the rubber did not move. 1t
has TO be a cooperative enterprise,
with much of the direction coming
from Washington.
Inspired Rockefeller Visit.
The failure of the first efforts was
the principal reason for the recent
flight to Brazil by Nelson Rocke-
feller, as it was also the reason for
the trip by Leon Henderson last
winter. Between these two visits
the new program has been set up,
under which airplanes are now the
means of transport, rather than the
slow-moving, wood-burning river
boats.
In fact, the Miami Manaos oper-
alton will be only one of two routes,
both having the same purpose. The
other will run along the Amazon
River, from the Atlantic to Manaos,
operating twice week, while the
longer flight is only once week.
The Amazon line will parallel the
existing service of Pan Air do Brazil,
but will not compete with it, since
1t will be a charter service, exclu-
sively for Rubber Reserve. 1t will
also use Sikorsky planes.
Details are being worked out in
Washington by Stokely Morgan of
Defense Supplies Corp, working
with Rubber Reserve and Pan
American Airways. Operations are
expected to begin in few weeks.
Washington officials feel confident
that the two operations will do
much to redeem the failure thus far
to get substantial quantities of rub
Der from South America. One State
Department official, commenting on
the number of rubber agreements
negotiated with Latin America and
the actual amount Of rubber pro-
cured, said Il am sorry to say we
have more agreements than we have
rubber"