The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-04-06

s223lzI ~ Will Ntdul AdA
Elliot Simpson ters in New
York City and
branch Offices all over the country.
He made it originally as witness
before the house Of representa-
tives' interstate and foreign COM
merce committee. toward the end
OF March, Just as the War Produc-
tion Board was starting 10 clamp
down on automobile tires, elastic
bands, fountain syringes, dental
dams for folks teeth. hose to squirt
water through. and much other
miscellany. Now he's out with the
same remark In the form of a
rimeographed release 10 neWspa-
pers. Oh, it's as official as all due
formality can make it.
Only an expert, like Director
Simpson. is entitled to speak au-
thoritatively relative 10 the rubber
situation. and I'm not one of them.
Nevertheless, I've had a suspicion
all along that & certain amount Of
hooey was involved in the current
yowl over the supposed scarcity of
the gum, as a result Of the shutting
of OF our East Indian source of
supplies of it.
It's explained TO US that it's all
been coming from those south
western Pacific islands. Now the
wars bottled them up and we can't
get any fresh goo. so we are told,
except such imitation stuff as we
may evolve from weeds and things.
How About Africa:
Now, can remember when every
drop OF the worlds raw rubber was
supposed to come from the Belgian
Congo, in Africa. What's become Of
the Belgian Congo?
Furthermore, about 20 years ago,
coming northward up the Spanish
American east coast. my ship put
into the Brazilian port Of Para,
also known as Belem, and quickly
discovered that the place was be-
coming a tremendously important
shipping point for up-the-Amazon
rubber. The trees, it seems, grow
wild up tfere-countless thousands
OF square miles Of forests OF them.
All that Is necessary is to go
around and tap them.
Now. understand that a wild
rubber tree doesn't yield sap as
copiously as one that's been do
mesticated. Still, wild one fur
nishes, not so much, but just as
good dope as a tame one. Besides,
the wild kind exuGe a free offering.
No expense, except for labor. is re-
quired TO collect the juice they emit
through the holes punched in them.
In addition to that, at the time l
visited Para, Yankee capital al
ready had started in on domesti-
cation Of the critters. Henry Ford,
among others, had a plantation of
them inaugurated. Well, as prev-
ously remarked, IL was bit more
than 20 years back that 1 paid that
visit. BY now, those trees ought to
be yielding a maximum. What has
happened to them?
I can't help wondering II today's
rubber shortage, that we hear so
much about, isn't exaggerated.
II is, according TO Director
Simpson Of the DreXsage company,
and 10 me, even admitting that he
may have some commercial inter-
est Of his own in saying so, this
story sounds plausible.
Director Simpson hints at the
possibility Of secret motives in
the minds OF s1-a-year men, extra
governmentally connected with the
rubber business and disposed to put
their concerns competitors on the
Fritz, who perhaps have a lot to
do with starting the shortage scare.
Hysteria Mixed In:
I wouldn't want to indorse any
such senni-accusaton.
Il does seem, though, as II there
might be modicum Of hysteria
mixed into the matter
Here, maybe. Is corroboratve
suggestion:
In behalf Of woods conservation,
cuffs now are trimmed of new
trousers. two-pant suits are banned
and vests, with double-hreasted
coats, are prohibited.
American wearers, though, are
advised that, IL their suits are i'm
ported from England, they can be
cufted. two-panted ard vested. It
isn't considered that it would be
good-mannered IN Us to impose
such restrictions upon John Bulls
tailors.
War enthusiasm IS highly COM
mendable, 1t goes without saying.
It doesn't follow that it's COM
mendable when II reaches the alti-
tude Of the ridiculous.
Director Simpson Of the Drex-
sage Rubber company appears to
surmlse something like that in his
testimony before the representa-
tives' interstate and foreign COM
mittee and his release 10 the news
papers.