The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1942-12-10
Synthetic Rubber Industry
Achieved Within One Year
Speedy Adoption of Rubber Manufacturing
Program SLAVES "a Years From Time
Required to Launch New Industry.
BY BAUKHAGE
Ne1ps ANALYST and Commentator.

There are two bottles. the contents
of which looked just alike to me-a
milky substance. One was the pure
lateX from the rubber tree. The
other was a synthetic product made
from alcohol Of petroleum.
Il am rot a CHEMIST LETTERS
said. and l don't intend to be one.
Those are just the ABC's.'
He went back to the immediate
problem before him, which is TO
keep America rolling u:til the syn
thetlc factories start to work.
Are you going to be able to do
that" l asked.
1T is not impossible if everybody
plays the game" he said. Il know
you can't regiment the American
people and l am not in favor Of
trying to do it. but when the people
understand what We are trying to
do for them. | think they will co
operate. have gotten splendid CO.
operation already from big bust
ness. little business and individuals.
1t is reaSSurlrg to learn how people
react when they know what We are
doing. I get all kinds Of letters-and
l answer all of them.
When the people realize how i'm
portant it is to help US help them
save rubber. they will cooperate. In
the last war we had a lot Of flags
ana parades. went down to the train
to see the fellows off with a band.
There doesn't seem to be any OF
that in this war. 1t might be a
good thing. But when the people
realize that the most vital thing in
our war effort is saving rubber.
we are going to see something tan
gible."
At that point Mr.. LETTERS dropped
an aside. one Of the little human
remarks that are typical Of him,
tinged though it is with a touch Of
irony-"Maybe il the people didn't
run around so much they could visit
their neighbors and they might
make friends and get better friends
that way"
Rubber and Economics
Rubber affects the social life of
the people, no doubt-the whole
American economy. rightly or
wrongly. is built on rubber and we
can't change it. Look at the farm
er We have to have food. The
farmer can't 60 back to the horse
and wagon. If he could get the
horses, we couldn't build the wagons
now. He has to get the crops to
market-it all comes back to trans
portation.
We'll keep them on rubber. Gas
r%ationing is rough justice. 1t works
hardships on some. Some take ad-
vantage of tits the man who has
three gallons more than he needs
and uses them to ride around the
country that is the waster. But I
think we'll get cooperation"
+ went back to problem two: the
building of the synthetic industry.
THE government will own the
plants" said. won't that make
postwar problems?" He said to me.
Yes. the government will W the
plants and the product will be manu-
featured on what amounts to a man.
agement fee basis. A lot Of other
things" he said. will be made un-
der the same conditions"
But I'm not interested in post
war problems" LETTERS went on,
my job is to help win the war. Tn
less bugs develop that we can't take
care of, we'll do 1t. And If we do,
we'll accomplish in a year and a
half what it usually takes Is years
to do"
Cooperation will do that-and
keep the country on rubber mean
while-and cooperation means big
business, little business and the
folks who eat in the kitchen" as
Mr.. LETTERS puts it. They have the