SYNTHETIC RUBBER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 April 1942, Page 3

SYNTHETIC RUBBER

PRODUCTION IN UNITED STATES MINISTER’S SURVEY. CRITICISM OF BRITISH POLICY. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) WASHINGTON, April 7. The Secretary for Commerce, Mr Jesse Jones, declared that the United States production of syntheitc rubber will amount to 300,000 tons during 1943, and should reach 700,000 tons in 1944, which is almost the total amount of rubber that was required in normal times. Testifying before the Senate defence investigating committee, Mr Jones disclosed that the United States must supply Britain, Russia and other countries with rubber, and therefore it is questionable whether tires will be available for civilian use. He submitted figures showing that the United States’ stock pile of raw rubber increased from 40ff53 long tons in December, 1940, to 342,000 Lons at March 20 last. Some rubber was continuing to arrive from Ceylon, Africa and elsewhere, and also extraordinary efforts were being made to get rubber from Central and South America. Mr Jones declared that the United Nations were dependent on the United States for supplies of synthetic rubber because they lacked the raw materials for making it. It was cheaper to ship them the finished product than to supply them with the bulkier raw materials. He attributed part of the rubber shortage to a “business as usual” attitude in 1939-40 of the British and Dutch producers, who sought to hold back their deliveries of rubber to maintain high prices, and he said he was forced to threaten the British with the development of synthetic rubbei' plants in the United States in order to get deliveries of raw rubber. The British and Dutch, he added, refused to believe that rubber supplies would be cut off, and consequently when Singapore fell Britain had only 100,000 tons or less on hand.