RUBBER SHORTAGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24244, 9 April 1942, Page 7

RUBBER SHORTAGE

STOCKS IN BRITAIN UNITED STATES PRODUCTION SUPPLYING ALLIED NATIONS (Reed. 6.30 p.m.) WASHINGTON, April 7 In a statement concerning the production of synthetic rubber in the United States to overcome the shortage of supplies, the Secretary of Commerce, Mr. Jesse Jones, attributed part of the rubber shortage to the "business as usual" attitude of British and Dutch producers in 1939 and 1940, when they sought to hold back deliveries of rubber to maintain high prices. Mr. Jones said he was forced to

threaten the British with the development of synthetic rubber plants in the United States in order to get deliveries of raw rubber. He added that the British and Dutch refused to believe rubber supplies would be cut off, consequently when Singapore fell Britain had only 100,000 tons, or less, on hand. The Secretary of Commerce said the United States production of synthetic rubber would amount to 300,000 tons during 1943 and should reach 700,000 tons in 1944, which was almost the total 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, therefore it was questionable whether tyres would be available for civilian use. Mr. Jones submitted figures showing that the United States' stock of raw rubber had increased from 40,153 long tons in December, 1940, to 342,000 tons on March 20 last He said some rubber was continuing to arrive from Ceylon, Africa and elsewhere, while extraordinary efforts were being made to get rubber from central South America. Mr. Jones said that the United Nations were dependent on the United States for the 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.