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THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[September 1, 1914. 



Fortunately, while the United States is absolutely de- 

 pendent for its crude rubber supplies on foreign parts, in 

 the matter of various compounding ingredients it is to a 

 great extent independent. Some years ago our sulphur 

 came from Italy and Sicily, but for a number of years 

 past we have more than supplied our home needs ; and 

 this is also true, in large part, of zinc oxide and litho- 

 pone. We also produce more lead compounds than we 

 consume, and while most of our magnesia has hitherto 

 come from the Balkans, we have ample deposits on the 

 Pacific coast which will be available if necessary. Taking 

 all the ingredients used in rubber manufacture, we are de- 

 pendent to a comparatively slight extent on foreign fields. 



It is given to no man to read the future with absolute 

 accuracy, but according to the best conjectures that we 

 can now make — based upon present conditions — the rub- 

 lier industry of tliis country need not be particularly ap- 

 prehensive. To be sure, rubber stocks are low, for 

 there has been a general feeling through the trade for 

 the past year — based on tiie ever increasing supplies from 

 the East — that the price of crude rubber would gradu- 

 ally go lower; and of course the immediate new supply 

 of crude will be very small. In August. 1913, importa- 

 tions of rubber into the United States amounted to 

 8,679,222 pounds and, including all kinds — jelutong, ba- 

 lata, etc. — the importations amounted to 11,064,392 

 pounds ; that being just a trifle over the average for the 

 last six months of 1913. During the first twenty-six 

 days of August just past our importations of rubber 

 amounted to only 4,985, .^00 pounds, and according to the 

 best advices the amount now afloat on its wa\- to New 

 York is still smaller. 



But with the clearing of the waters of hostile ships 

 and the great increase in bottoms flying the American 

 flag, the rubber accumulating in South America and in 

 the East will undoubtedly be on its way to these ports 

 before our supplies have been exhausted. For it must 

 be kept in mind that home consumption of rubber manu- 

 factured goods is likely in the immediate few weeks to 

 show a falling oft'. This is particularly true of anything 

 in the way of luxuries. The great conflict, \\ iili its 

 terrific destruction of property and with its awful human 

 carnage, cannot but have a sobering efi^ect upon the peo- 

 ple of the United States, and they are likely — for the 

 time being, at least — to revert somewhat to the simple 

 life. We cannot expect immediately to increase our ex- 

 ports to Europe, as tires, shoes and clothing are con- 

 traband of war. But, passing over the next few weeks, 

 the general effect for the future must be a great increase 



in the output of our rubber factories. Last year our entire 

 sales of manufactured rubber goods in the European 

 market amounted to $5,201,914. and in South America 

 our total sale of manufactured rubl)er goods reached only 

 8765,709. Certainly with the inability of Europe for a 

 long time to come to meet its own requirements, and 

 nuich less to supply those of the foreign trade, our ex- 

 ])orts of rubber manufactures both to Europe and to the 

 -South American continent should increase many hundred 

 per cent. 



The rubber trade of the United States should under 

 present circumstances adopt the motto of the Adminis- 

 tration, with a single but important change. They 

 should not embark on a period of "watchful waiting," but 

 rather on a period of watchful working, using much cau- 

 tion in their immediate transactions but making all pos- 

 sible preparation for the widening market that is bound 

 to come when the war shall be brought to a close. 



THE OPENING DOOR OF SOUTH AMERICAN 

 TRADE. 



'["'OR the past three weeks the daily press — incited to 

 *■ a certain extent by a strong appeal made by Mr. 

 John Barrett, the energetic Director General of the Pan 

 American Union^ — has been calling on all American 

 manufacturers to seize upon the great prize of South 

 American trade which has been divided for so many years 

 among the various nations of Europe but which now 

 perforce they are in large part compelled to neglect. 



This is no new topic for the columns of The India 

 Rubber World. Much has appeared in its pages during 

 the last three years on the great desirability of increasing 

 our trade with the southern continent. But those enter- 

 prising manufacturers who have knocked at that door 

 have not received a very cordial response. This of course 

 has been largely owing to the fact that behind the door 

 were the English and the Germans, who, as far as they 

 could, kept it closed against all new comers. But now 

 that the English and the Germans have come to blows 

 the door is opening and of necessity will open still 

 wider, for on, the South American continent there are 

 sixty million people who hitherto have been largely de- 

 pendent for their manufactured goods on the factories 

 of Europe, and now that many of these are closed and 

 others working under extreme difficulties, they must look 

 to us for a substantial percentage of their supplies. 



The imports of manufactured articles into South Amer- 

 ica amounted to nearly a billion dollars last year, or, to 

 be more exact, nine hundred and sixty-one millions. Of 



