Facts On The Ooveriimcnfs
Svnllictic Kuhhcv* Production
Washington—The American public already has had a
tough blow in regard to the use of automobile tires.
But the inside figures indicate that the blow will be
even tougher in the future.
The production of synthetic rubber for tires, begun
by Germany several years before the war, in this
country now totals only between 7,865 and 10,000 tons
for an entire year. Moreover, the new svntheie rubber
factories, financed by the Reconstruction Finance Cor
poration will not get into production until April, at
the earliest, and most of them not until August. And
when finished, their total production will be onlv
48.000 to 50.000 tons yearly.
Thus, a year from today, we may possibly have a
total of 60,000 tons of synthetic rubber —if we are
lucky; if the plants are finished ahead of schedule;
and if they produce a little faster than is expected.
Compare this 60,000 tons to the 720,000 tons of rubber
consumed by the United States during the past year,
and you get some idea why Leon Henderson was so
abrupt and tight-lipped about clamping down on tire
consumption.
Rubber Facts
Here are the new synthetic plants under construc
tion and their schedule of completion:
Goodyear, April-May, 10,000 tons; Goodrich, late
August, 10,000 tons; Firestone, August, 10,000 tons;
U. S. Rubber, August, 10,000 tons; Standard Oil of
La. (private financing) late 1942, 8,000 to 10.000 tons;
DuPont (private financing), late 1942, 10,000 tons.
In addition, the RFC announced that plans capable
of producing 80.000 more tons would be sponsored by
the Government. But with the entire nation in a
race to get defense materials, these plants will take
another year to get into production — even if then.
Thus, unless we are able to send tremendous labor
battalions to the jungles of the Amazon—and here
the scarcity of shipping is important—it will be seen
that the Unted States has in effect suffered an econ
omic Pearl Harbor. And like Pearl Harbor, the rubber
defeat came largely because we were napping.
“Bottleneck” Jesse
Complacent, genial Jesse Jones, whose job it was to
lend the money for these synthetic rubber factories,
was questioned recently why he had not been more
far-sighted. His reply was: “Hindsight is always
better than foresight.” However, since we have many
other lessons to learn in this war, and since the first
President of the United States advised his country
men to “look back for the purpose of profiting by Dear
Bought Experience,” it is worth looking at record on
rubber.
The record, as written in the Washington Merry
Go-Round, shows that as early as July 13, 1940, eight
een months ago, Edward Stettinius, who had been woe
fully wrong on aluminum and didn’t want to be wrong
again, announced that before the end of July, “It is
expected a plan for synthetic rubber production will
have been worked out which in the future will elim
inate our dependence upon imports.”
In the same month, Emil Schram of the RFC, lived
up to Stettinius’ announcement by working out a plan
with Goodrich and Phillips Petroleum to finance a
rubber plant capable of producing 100,000 tons yearly,
which at that time was about one-sixth of our con
sumption. However, Jesse Jones, who as Federal Loan
Administrator, outranked RFC Chief Schram, stopped
the deal. The plan fell through, and Schram, disgusted
with interference and procrastination, later resigned.
Six months passed. And Stettinius’ predicition that
we would work out plans to become independent of the
Dutch East Indies remained only in the paper stage.
On December 8, 1940, this column reported: “A fun
damental difference exists between the Defense Com
mission and Jesse Jones. The Commission believes that
production of synthetic rubber should begin immed
iately, and wants a subsidy of $180,000,000 to American
rubber companies. However, Jesse Jones doesn’t be
lieve synthetic rubber needs to be produced on a large
scale. The Defense Commission counters with a fore
cast of what might happen should all our rubber be1
cut off from the Dutch East Indies. It emphasizes that
machinery cannot be set up overnight. Stettinius is:
really aroused, may appeal to the White House if he
doesn’t soon move Jesse.”
Again on Feb. 12, 1941, the Merry-Go-Round re
ported: “Stettinius is almost tearing his hair over the
ponderous patience of Jesse Jones. In October, Jesse
said that the RFC might construct a government syn
thetic rubber plant, but in January he said he had
shifted back to the idea of lending money to private
companies. But still later in the same month, he an
nounced that synthetic rubber is in the ‘status quo’,”
“There the situation rests—waiting for Jesse Jones,
to do something. Meanwhile, the chance of Japanese;
taking the Dutch East Indies becomes greater.” Fin- i
ally, on May 16, 1941, just one year after Roosevelt)
asked the Defense Commission to do something about;
rubber, Mr. Jones announced a loan to four rubber
companies to manufacture pilot plants. The loan was;
not $180,000,000 as requested by the Defense Commis
sion, but a meager $1,250,000 to each company. Jesse
was being a good banker to the end. Today, however,
his nickname in Washington is not “Banker” Jones,
but “Bottleneck” Jesse Jones.—'Washington Merry-Go
Round by Drew Pearson and Robert. S. Allen.
MARRIED MEN, |
AS SELECTEES,
GIVEN NOTICE
i
n v Ernest Gruening announc
<■(1 that a 1 marr'e I men register
ed tar S' lec. ve Service must
in mi diahly give written not it
tn trv ir local board if their wiv
es are employed. Such notice to
the local board should state the
n tu"o of the wife's emp'oyment.
whether permanent or tempor
ary. and the amount earned per
month.
The Governor also advised all
S-. lcciive Scrv ce registrants of
the n« eessity of immediately re
port'-ng to thoir local board any
chan o of address and any
change in work or physical con
dition.
P•’cause the Nation is now at
war, Selective Service regula
tions and requirements are rapid
ly being changed, the Governor
stated. This has necessitated the
ri-clas- fication of a tremendously
large number of registrants. Not
knowing of these changes many
individuals have inquired as to
the reason for the change in
their classification. These chang
es are beng made in line with
directives from Washington, and
.any registrant who believes that
he has been improperly classified
I should consult with the Govern- i
! ment Appeal Agent for his local i
board.
Brn- Defense Bonds and Stamps 1
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M'f -SW
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M Y, W HAT BIG TANKS UNCLE SAM HA S—Giant of the nation's growing tank family is this 60-ton. hear ly
armed and armored, monster of the M-l type, turned over to the U.S. army by Baldwin Locomotive Works at Eddystonc, Pa. The vv* M ‘d
combat ear operates at high speed on metal treads and carries three machine guns, one small and one heavy cannon. Armored skirls pro
tect running wheels. In acceptance ceremony, tank was tested in turning, braking, sand maneuvering—and even crushed a dummy ‘jeep.’'
rULJt-K’S V/HtkE YOU FiND IT —IN TIIE DISCARD ,i m>v rn-.u i .■ :>f<.i :s! t • . <>il
year plant in Akron, where “war tires’’ are to be pioduced. Reclaimed tires will give “reasonable mileage at moderate speeds.’’