Evening star., 1943-01-08
Colombian Says U. 5.
Has Full Confidence
In Synthetic Rubber
Banker Lopez Advises
South Americans Not
To Develop Crude
Earlier Story on Page A-1)

Earlier Story on Page A-1)
BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Jan. 8.-The
United States is not developing
raw rubber production in any
part of the world because it has
perfect confidence in the syn
thetic program now under way,
DR.. Eduardo Lopez, brother of
President Alfonzo Lopez of Co.
lombia, said in an interview to-
day.
synthetic rubber in abundance,
produced cheaply, and in sufficient
quantity to supply all war and
civilian needs is the definite expecta-
ton OF all Washington officials con-
nected directly with the rubber pro-
gram" DR.. Lopez said.
DR.. Lopez is a banker, industrialist
and journalist, who is visiting this
country on an unofhcial mission. He
said his family had been active in
rubber production prior to 1912 and
that he had advised for his country
for more than a year not to expect
crnde rubber development there be-
cause of the United States faith in
rubber synthetics.
Well Thought out Plan.
THE United States plan must be
we'll thought out and safe" DR.. Lopez
said, because officials have had full
knowledge of the vast amount of
crude rubber available in Colombia
and other sections of South America
and they simply don't need it.
The raw rubber men who have
been seeking to open new fields of
crude rubber since the supply from
the South Pacific was cut off have
received no encouragement. And
that means just one thing-the
United States synthetic process is
going to be better and cheaper.
Furthermore. the synthetic pro-
duction will be produced in the
home field of the United States,
Unworried Over Crude.
The synthetic development re-
qulres some crude rubber. but this.
too, apparently is a question which
worries no one in Washington.
DR.. Lopez said that the topic of
rubber was not controversial one
between North and South America
He said that Colombia and IS other
countries of South America had
given the United States the benefit
OF rubber surveys, showing tre-
mendous prospects.
But the South American coun-
tries expecting to create new de-
velopment know that it is out of
the question now" DR.. Lopez said
The price paid for crude would
have to be almost doubled to secure
crude rubber from the jungles, and
that is not being considered.
1T might as well be told that the
United States simply is not worried
about raw rubber when the syn
thetic product is so near at hand
This confidence in the United States
synthetic program must be WE'LL
founded because everything is be-
ing staked on it's success.
Intends No Criticism.
"A WIG OluCAdlS III washington
are right, then everything will turn
out as expected. If they don't get
enough rubber through synthetics
the whole plan of action will prove
to have been mistake
With the warning that he did not
wish to strike controversial note
nor criticize, DR.. Lopez said that
surely the South American pro-
posals would have been given con-
sideration if Washington had not
been so confident of its rubber
plan"
DR.. Lopez said that the South
American rubber field would have
been developed by merely increas-
ing the price of crude rubber, but
that since this was not done, the
United States apparently did not
need to provide a reserve If the
synthetics did not prove out"
you will have plenty-and soon
enough he said