Evening star., 1947-02-27

AkNNObU
Dutch rubber producing areas in the
Far East, that lack Of rubber for mill
tary and civilian use-but particularly
Tor the former-would shamstring the
:. war effort Of the Allied Nations and
particularly of the United States The
stock pile of natural rubber in this
country, when Pearl Harbor was at
tackled, was relatively small. But with
tremendous energy the United States
went to work to produce synthetic rub
ber and to improve its quality. BY 1945
Its total production was running at the
rate of $4,000 tons month of all kinds
OF synthetic rubber or almost 100000
a year. Since the close of the war ard
with increasing ability to obtain and
import natural rubber, the production
of synthetic rubber has fallen to about
500 or 900 tons year.
1t has been the policy of the Govern
ment to sell its synthetic rubber fac
tories to private industry, and already
some have passed into private hands.
The Government, however, still retains
very large part of its rubber producing
facilities. One OF the questions which
must be decided is whether, as a meas
ure Of National defense, the Govern
ment shall continue to hold some of
these plants. This Is policy whose
determination will be up to CONGRESS.
The presumption is, however, that the
synthetic rubber production will be left
In the future to private industry-pro-
Vded, OF course, private industry is able
and willing to handle it.
~
It has been argued in some quarters
that this country should scrap the
synthetic rubber industry, except for a
mere shadow of the wartime production,
and permit free flow of natural rub
Der to take its place. This, it is claimed,
is the natural thing to do, permitting
foreign producers of natural rubber to
supply the American market as they
did before the war. The argument is
would turn the American overseas
carrying trade back to the British, and
other maritime powers, now that the
war is over. Henry A. Wallace, former
Vice President and Secretary of Com
merce, a couple of years ago strongly
advocated scrapping the synthetic rub
ber industry except for token and
experimental plants. ..
The United States is the greatest
user of rubber in the world, and a
great deal Of it goes into automobile
tires. 1t may be said with emphasis
that the sentiment in Congress Is
strongly against scrapping this great
synthetic industry; that Congress,
generally speaking, does not intend to
have this country left at the mercy of
foreign rubber producers, neither in
peace or war time.
Americans to watch the interplay and
influence of religion and politics on the
several pending bills for Federal aid to
public education. That is, it will be
educational for them If they are awake.
A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER.
To the Editor Of The Star:
I read your bigoted editorial of
February IA, and wish to point out to
you that I attended the Toner Public
School at Twenty-fo and F streets
NV. In the various grades were chill
dren Of several sects Of the Protestant
faith, the Catholic faith, the Jewish
faith, the Mohammedan and several
others, besides those Of no faith. And
allow me to suggest, that their parents
were taxpayers!
Notwithstanding che above mentioned
differences of faith or no faith, we were
compelled to listen EACH day to the
reading Of a book they termed "The
st. James version Of the Holy Bible"
and following this unconstitutional act,
we had to recite 1.-THE Lords Prayer"
protestant version!
You have stirred hornets nest
make the best Of 1t.
THOMAS r. ]. CAVANAUGH.