Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-12
Parachute Prospectors to Hunt
in Brazil for RFC
Wallace Atkinson
Named TO Manage
Monuos Hotels
BY LEON PEARSON.

Jesse Jones is creating a task
force, not to shoot the JapS but to
milk the rubber trees Of the Amazon
The Secretary Of Commerce an
nounced the other day that he had
set up the Rubber Development
Corp. but gave no details of what it
would co. But a spokesman for MI
Jones has revealed that the rev task
force will drop men by parachute
into jungle rubber areas, will rebuild
the OLD opera house at Manaos. will
take over two hotels and will send
an expert from Washington Hotel
Cation to manage them.
Interest here has Centered on the
struggle between Jesse Jones and
Milo Perkins over who would run
the rubber program The real story.
however, is not i'll Washington but
in The Amazon whore Jesse Jones
has sent a World WAY aviator named
Reed Chambers to change the face
of the valley.
Prospecting by Air.
The most sensational aspect OF
M. Chambers program is his
scheme for prospecting by air, From
headquarters in ManaoS he will
send planes out over the Jungle to
spot gIoWths Of rubber. Beginning
in April, which is autumn south OF
the equator, the rubber trees turn
yellow. Wherever the flying pros
pectors see patch Of yellow
beneath them. pair of men will
bail out by parachute armed with
maChetes and enough food to keep
them alive for few days.
They will make a small clearing.
and more men and supplies will be
dropped in the same spot. Trails
will be broken to the nearest river
and the clearing enlarged to the size
Of landing field. Then planes will
come in and the actual operation Of
tapping rubber trees will begin.
This is a new pattern for the
Amazon-l0 times more expensive
but a hundred times more rapid
| The rubber is scattered throughout
the vast jungles of the Amazon,
and any land based exploration
would be too slow for the present
emergency. As spokesman for
| Mr.. Jones expressed it, 1T is vital to
get what rubber we're going to get
In l943 and 1914; we can't wait
until 1915"
$4,000 Migratory Force.
! A migratory labor force of $4,000
men is being brought from other
! areas of Brazil. Rubber Develop
ment Corp. pays 500 a head to
bring these men TO Belem at the
mouth of the Amazon. Fifty dollars
| is paid when the man starts to
! move, and $50 more when he ar
rives in Belem From there up the
river. the labor force will be trans
ported by feet of Higgins self
| propelled bargeS. 100 to a barge
The new barges. as well as the
! two steamships and ferries already
| in the Amazon service. will be oper-
ated by Rubber Development Corp,
which has acquired both the Booth
Line and the Snapp Line on five
year contract. Also, RDC will oper-
! ate all air transportation up and
down the valley, as we'll as between
ManaoS and Miami
This arrangement is made by CO.
operation between the two coun-
tries under the Brazilian American
Commission. 1t is safe to say that
never before in history has one gov
eminent undertaken such extensive
works within the territory of an
other sovereign state.
There will be 10 major airhelds in
| the Amazon area. plus possible 20
smaller fields, Planes will bring
! supplies in, and take rubber out.