Evening star., 1944-08-13
Postwar Stabi|ization
OF Rubber Sought
BY Three Nations
BY JOSEPH H. BAIRD,

A blueprint Of future world rub.
Der production and use to ayoit
chaos after the japanese have beer
driven out of the plantations of tn,
East Indies is being drawn up b,
the United States, Great Britain
and the Netherlands, it wa.
learned yesterday.
B. F. Haley, chief of the State
Departments commodity division
ana other members of an American
delegation have just returned from
London where the future of rubber
was discussed with the British anc
Dutch. Plans were made there fol
an intense study of the problem b.
the three nations, to be followed by
another conference later in the
year.
Because Of the tremendous syn.
thetic rubber-producing program ir
the United States, as we'll as inten.
sive measures to increase the out.
put Of natural rubber in Liberia
and Latin America, the British ano
Dutch are represented as worried
about their postwar market here
The two nations contro. the Eas,
Indian plantations, where the bulk
of the worlds natural rubber is
grown. In prewar years the United
States consumed fully SO per cent
of their production.
Will Combine Two types.
10
the postwar automobile tire prob
ably will be combination of nat
ural and synthetic rubber, although
1t is impossible to say now what the
percentage of each will be. The
synthetic product has been found
more resistant to abrasion on the
road than natural rubber, although
the latter has superior elasticity
and is better adapted to use in the
sidewalks of castings.
The price of the two products alst
is expected to influence their use
Before the war the price of natura
rubbed varied from II to % cent.
per pound. The cost of synthetic
currently is above those figures, al.
though rapid advances in manufac.
turing technique are expected tt
lower this figure soon.
The British and Dutch, it is un.
derstood principally were interested
in talking with the American dele
cation about the future of the syn
thetic industry here and in learning
how much natural rubber the United
States expects to use after the war
The United States representatives
were unable to give them very much
concrete data but agreed to make
detailed study.
British and Dutch plantation own
ers in Malaga. Sumatra and other
rubber-producing areas were re-
ported ready to resume production
Immediately after the Japanese
have been driven out of these con-
quered lands.
Production Pact Opposed.
The United States, it was learned
has taken firm position against any
sort of international agreement for
the restriction of rubber production
American rubber manufacturers well
remember the Stevenson plan
adopted by the British and Dutch
early in the l920's which resulted
in raising the price of crude rubber
to $l20 per pound. Castings fol-
heavy automobiles then sold for as
much as $50.
After the monopoly was broken
by a virtual American boycott of
East Indian rubber, the price was
stabilized at between IL and %
cents. American rubber manufac-
turers are represented as feeling
that a postwar price of from IL
to l8 cents. depending on demand
and supply, is both adequate and
fair.
Mr.. Haley was accompanied to
London by w. T Phillips of his
staff, three representatives of large
rubber companies and three dele
gates from Government agencies
Interested in rubber