The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-09-15
b, RAYMOND CLAPPER


tee will stand a. model for q
long time. There doesn't seem
to be a puneh-pulling line in il
In view of what the Baruch
committee reports, IT IL incon-
eeivable that there can be any
longer objection to nationwide
gasoline rstioning.
Action should have been taken
long ago. Now the Baruch com
mittee find. the existing situs-
ton so dangerous that unless
corrective measures are taken
Immediately. this country will
face both a military and civilian
collapse. That should end argu-
ment. and particularly should
end the pressure against ration
ing which came from a group Of
senators and representatives.
To support its recommends
ton for nationwide gasoline ra-
tionins as rubber saving meas
ure. the Baruch committee re-
veals this critical information.
Stockpile Of crude on hand
July l - $4,000 tons.
Estimated imports to end Of
next year - $4,000 tons.
Total crude rubber to end of
next year - 631, 900 tons.
Estimated military and other
essential demands for same
period - 1900 tons.
Deficit that must be met by
synthetic product by end OF
next year - 211,000 tons.
There you are. Unless new
supplies of natural or artificial
rubber can be obtained in time,
total military and export de-
demands alone will exhaust
crude rubber stocks before the
end of the next summer. We are
faced with certainties as, to de-
msnds and with grave un-
certainties as to supply.
That's almost all word for
word because there's no point
in trying to throw in purple
adjectives. The facts are better
raw As the branch commit
tee SAYS. il is either discom-
fort or defeat. There is no
middle course.
This report is also a sewers
indictment of Washington bu-
reaucy. 1t is important as case
study in bureaucratic fumbling.
The Baruch committee finds US
in our present jam with regard
to rubber largely because Of
errors. representations, indecis-
ions, conflicts of authority,
clashes of personalities, lack Of
understanding, early non-use Of
known alcohol processes, and
failure to stockpile crude rub
Der when the chances were
known to be good that Japan
would make a drive to cut off
our sources in the Far East.
Those also are words mostly
taken out of the Baruch report.
The Baruch committee finds II
impossible 10 understand why
our government did not request
help from Russia in setting up a
synthetic system. No satisfac-
tory explanation could be found.
Russian has been making syn
thetc for 10 years. and is the
first or second largest producer
in the world. Last February
Russia has been making syn
formation with us. II we had
acted then, plants for producing
rubber by the Russian process
might be well on the way TO
completion.
The Rubber Reserve Corp,
one Of the famous Jesse Jones
subsidiaries shows up badly in
the Baruch report. Only in July
did the Rubber Reserve Corp.
get an agreement with the four
large rubber companies to give
out their technical information.
Then it took six weeks for the
WPB Rubber branch to get that
information out Of the Rubber
Reserve Corp. so that il could
pass II around for the informs-
ton Of the synthetic industry.
Furthermore the bureaucracy
has permitted essential ma
terials to ne used for nonessen-
tai purposes. There has been
lack Of vigorous inven-
tory and priorities control.
Too much complacency was en-
oountered. There has been som.
disposition 10 bow TO the So
called impossible instead of try
ing 10 overcome II.
That's the record in this ar
senal Of bureaucracy as III.
Baruch committee finds it. Pub
lie sacrifices must be made now
because Of those mistakes. Can
We expect something better
from here on out? Something
better in using Kaisers ability
Something better in using our
limited msnPover wisely.
That's the real challenge the