June i, 1902.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER W^ORLD 



285 



THE ACRE RIVER CONCESSION. 



IT is possible that very serious international complications 

 may yet have to be settled in connection with the leasing 

 of the territory of the Acre to an Anglo-American syndicate, 

 under the concession the details of which have appeared in The 

 India Rubber World. Within three years past there have 

 been in this territory at least two uprisings against the Bolivian 

 government. These were probably instigated by Brazilian set- 

 tlers in that region, but they were suppressed with the help of 

 the Brazilian government, which, after a long continued dis. 

 pute, conceded the territory to belong to Bolivia. But now 

 that the concessions arranged for by Sir Martin Conway have 

 been ratified by the Bolivian legislature, Brazil appears dis- 

 posed to feel that Bolivia has practically given away its terri- 

 tory to a foreign government, and much ill feeling exists in 

 consequence. 



The Brazilian congress was opened at Rio de Janeiro on May 

 3, and President Campos Salles, in his message to that body, 

 called attention to the lease by Bolivia of a vast territory in the 

 Amazon valley to an American syndicate, having powers of in- 

 ternal administration. Brazil, he said, replied to Bolivia's offer 

 to take one-fifth of the syndicate's holding by saying that such 

 territory then leased is still the subject of contention with an- 

 other nation, which is Peru, and that Bolivia, by the proposed 

 lease, which gives to the lessee the use of a military force, really 

 gives up her sovereign rights, so that, if Brazil were a party to 

 such an arrangement, she would have to meet face to face 

 authorities which she never can and never will acknowledge. 

 This declaration was made to Bolivia in a note dated April 14, 

 the government having simultaneously asked congress to with- 

 draw the treaty of commerce and navigation which had been 

 submitted to its approval. 



The Brazilian Review (Rio de Janeiro) says : " President 

 Salles has received a telegram from the editor of the Ama- 

 zonas stating that his energetic action in regard to the lease of 

 the river Acre region has aroused much enthusiasm at Mandos, 

 where crowds parade the streets, vigorously cheering the 

 president." 



The South American Journal (London) says : " The contract 

 gives power to the company to raise arm, equip, and maintain 

 a force of soldiers, police, and armed vessels. And this is the 

 part which has caused the greatest alarm and anger of the 

 Brazilians. The Brazilian government has withdrawn the com- 

 mercial treaty between Brazil and Bolivia, which was before the 

 senate for approval. The Rio papers say the government in- 

 tends to prohibit the passage through Brazilian territory, either 

 on the water or lands, of any person belonging to or employed 

 by the company or syndicate." 



« * * 



Mr. N. H. Witt, of the long established rubber trading 

 firm of Witt & Co. at Manaos, Brazil, has favored The India 

 Rubber World with a statement regarding the sentiment on 

 the Amazon with respect to the Acre concession : 



" It is regarded there as an anachronism for a modern repub- 

 lic to put any of its territory under control of a private corpo- 

 ration, and especially one organized under foreign laws, under 

 such conditions as prevailed when the East India Company 

 was chartered by Queen Elizabeth to undertake the work which 

 it carried on for nearly three centuries in India. The natives 

 of that country were a subject race, whereas the people now 

 living in the Acre territory are free men and independent citi- 

 zens of a republic in the twentieth century. Such men are not 

 apt to submit willingly to the exercise of police powers by the 

 paid agents of a foreign corporation whose presence on the 



ground is solely for the purpose of making profits for private 

 shareholders. One reason for the interest of Brazilians in the 

 matter is that many of them feel that the Acre by right be- 

 longs to them. The natural configuration of the country indi- 

 cates it to be a part of Brazil ; the waters of the Acre flow 

 through Brazil into the Amazon ; and the only practicable out- 

 let of the country is through Brazilian territory. It is true 

 that Brazil consented to a construction of the treaty defining 

 the boundary between her own territory and Bolivia which 

 gave the Acre to the latter. Under the theory that 'might 

 makes right,' Brazil could readily have retained this district, 

 and defended her position on the ground that all the develop- 

 ment of this district has been made by Brazilian settlers. 

 There is practically no Bolivian population in this territory, 

 and the citizens there who would come under the control of 

 the Anglo-American syndicate are mostly Brazilians. It is 

 felt in Brazil that the fact that Bolivia has been willing to lease 

 the Acre country is a confession of her inability to administer 

 and develop her own territory. Even if Brazil should not be 

 able legally to resist the use of the Amazon by the agents of 

 the lessees of the Acre, it is certain that many ways could be 

 found by the people along the great stretch of waterways be- 

 tween the Acre and the ocean to make it so uncomfortable for 

 the concessionaires as to discourage their work very greatly." 



Mr. Witt is not a citizen of Brazil, but feels that his knowl- 

 edge of the feeling of the people among whom he lives justi- 

 fies him in suggesting this as a statement of public opinion on 

 the Amazon. 



RECLAIMED RUBBER IN ENGLAND. 



/^NE of the outcomes of the high price of Para rubber 

 ^-^ [says London Engineering] was a more general recog- 

 nition of the advantages of the African product. Another re- 

 sult — and one, it must be confessed, of not quite so commend- 

 able a nature — was to bring into increased use what is known 

 as recovered or reclaimed rubber, a product of varying com- 

 position, and in many cases of dubious qualifications as a 

 substitute for new rubber. It has, however, many legitimate 

 uses in low quality goods, and has undoubtedly come to stay. 

 A large amount has of late years come to us from America as 

 a product of old goloshes ; but it is somewhat interesting to 

 note that a large works, financed by Americans, has recently 

 been erected in the neighborhood of Liverpool to engage in its 

 manufacture. Of course, there are Englishmen engaged in the 

 business, but the invasion of American capital and American 

 methods is quite a new departure, and one which cannot fail 

 to have an important influence both upon the position of our 

 producers and upon the American exporters. 



ENGLISH GARDEN HOSE MAKING. 



GARDEN hose in the United States is usually made in 50 

 foot lengths ; one special kind, however, being made in 

 400 and 500 foot lengths. The short lengths of hose, accord- 

 ing to American practice, are made on iron mandrels. Accord- 

 ing to the English practice garden hose is made in 60 foot 

 lengths, and on solid rubber mandrels. Of course after a time 

 these mandrels give out from being over cured, and also from 

 constant stretching grow a little smaller in the middle, but 

 they have many advantages. For example, the hose, after be- 

 ing made up can be coiled and cured in French talc. They are 

 also very easily removed, as in drawing them out they stretch 

 a little, which of course, makes the diameter less than when 

 they are in their normal state. 



