422 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[May 1, 1914. 



We have here no "touch and go" description of travels, such 

 as are ordinarily written by foreigners touring through a 

 country and getting their information from car windows. Gen- 

 eral Reyes took an extended trip through Brazil, Uruguay, 

 Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. His position 

 as an ex-president of one of the republics and his extensive 

 acquaintance opened every door of information to him, and the 

 fact that he had lived practically all his life in South America 

 and had taken a prominent [lart in its aflfairs enabled him to 

 view the conditions in all the different republics with an in- 

 telligent and sympathetic eye. 



He devotes an interesting chapter to the Panama Canal, 

 and while naturally he cannot entirely conceal a sense of griev- 

 ance over the revolution that bereft Colombia of the isthmus — 

 for this happened when he was president — he still can discuss 

 this matter without any suggestion of rancor. He hopes that 

 in the immediate future the United States Government will 

 make due amends for the Colombian loss inflicted by the Panama 

 revolution ; but his feeling about the canal does not prevent him 

 from speaking in eulogy of Mr. Roosevelt's recent utterances in 

 South America. In fact he devotes ten pages of his concluding 

 chapter to reproducing in part Mr. Roosevelt's address delivered 

 last October in Rio de Janeiro. 



To be sure there is very little said about rubber in this volume, 

 but that should make it none the less interesting to rubber 

 men, because one can no more conceive of South America 

 without its great Amazon Valley than he can conceive of the 

 United States without the great Mississippi system; and in the 

 development of South America the Amazon must necessarily 

 largely share— and that means the development of its rubber 

 industry. It is quite true that at present the Eastern plantations 

 are pushing the Amazonians rather hard, but it is unthinkable 

 that this vast rubber territory planted by the hand of nature 

 on the world's most wonderful waterway shall for any great 

 length of time or to any considerable extent fall into disuse. 



THE FUTURE OF TROPIC.\L .-VMERICA, THE TROPICAL Ex- 

 ploitation Syndicate, Ltd., 28 Mincing Lane, London. [Paper, 92 

 pages, with 32 plates. Price, Is. net.] 



AMONG the immediate effects of the opening of the Panama 

 Canal will be a demand for information regarding tropical 

 America, its natural features and products, as well as the op- 

 portunities the new waterway will open to Atnerican import and 

 export commerce. While the facts are to be found in bulky 

 library volumes, what is wanted is a summary in convenient 

 form of the leading points of interest, available for prompt ref- 

 erence. 



Such a compilation is that recently issued by the above-named 

 syndicate, which recognizes the fact that while two thousand 

 years ago it was said that "all roads lead to Rome," tomorrow 

 half the commercial roads of the world will lead through the 

 Panama Canal. 



The various countries of tropical America are classified in 

 this work into four groups— Central America, East Coast of 

 South America, West Coast of South America and the West 

 Indies. Under the first group are: Panama, Costa Rica, Nica- 

 ragua, Republic of Honduras, Salvador, British Honduras and 

 Guatemala. Yucatan (Mexico) is also included. In each case 

 the products are described — cocoanuts, bananas, cacao, coffee 

 and sugar being in most cases prominent. 



Referring to rubber, the book contains this interesting para- 

 graph : "Natural rubber grows wild in immense quantities in 

 the forest-clad district of Darien, and a syndicate is already in 

 operation in Darien producing rubber of excellent quality. In 

 every part of Panama rubber is found, in particular the species 

 called CastUloa. which thrives everywhere. At one time rubber 

 was exported in quantity, but as the natives obtained it by the 

 simple method of cutting down the trees, the more easily access- 

 ible plantations were gradually destrosed. To the individual or 



company provided with sufficient capital there is doubtless here 

 a prospect of good returns, but little can be done without ex- 

 penditure and patience to await development of plantations." 



In Nicaragua, rubber has greatly suffered through too fre- 

 quent tapping by the natives, but in view of the steps taken by 

 the government for the protection of the industry, a great de- 

 velopment is anticipated. The supply of wild rubber in the Re- 

 public of Honduras is now becoming exhausted, while rubber 

 planting is a comparatively modern industry in that country. 

 In British Honduras rubber is receiving close attention and 

 CastUloa is found wild. The Para variety has been introduced 

 and seems to flourish even more freely than the native species. 

 Guatemala, having a climate tropical in the lowlands and tem- 

 perate in the more elevated portions, can, it is remarked, grow 

 with success various kinds of produce, including rubber. 



The second group of tropical countries includes : Colombia, 

 Venezuela, British, Dutch and French Guiana and Tropical 

 Brazil. Among the points urged are the suitability of British 

 Guiana for the cultivation of rubber and for the growth of 

 balata, the supply of which is said to be inexhaustible. The 

 importance of the Brazilian export of rubber is also commented 

 upon. 



Crossing the Continent, the third group is reached, consist- 

 ing of Ecuador and Peru. With respect to the former country, 

 the accessible rubber supply from wild trees is said to have al- 

 most ceased, attention being now paid to planting. In the con- 

 cluding chapters of the work the general characteristics of 

 cocoanuts, cocoa, coffee, limes, sugar, bananas and pineapples 

 are dealt with. 



Owing to the systematic classified arrangement of the infor- 

 mation affecting the various products of the different countries 

 treated, the work will be found of much value for reference, 

 while the details of currency, weights and measures will be 

 found equally useful. 



The 32 illustrations bring out the principal features of the 

 comprehensive subject treated. 



LE CAOUTCHOUC; SA CHIMIE NOUVELLE; SES SYNTHESES. 

 By A. Dtibosc, Clieraica! Engineer, and A. Luttringer, Doctor of 

 Sciences. Paris, 1914, A. D. Cillard. [Paper, 8vo, 606 pages.] 



IN this comprehensive work the subject has been divided into 

 •^ three principal sections — the first dealing with the general 

 question of natural rubber and the second with its formation and 

 analysis, while the third and final division treats of its synthesis. 

 Thus each section naturally leads up to the succeeding one. The 

 object of the authors has been to group together the references 

 before scattered through various publications, with the addition 

 of their personal observations on the subjects embraced in the 

 title. 



After a review of the productive capacity of the various rub- 

 ber-producing regions, with special reference to the plantations 

 in Asia and Oceania, the question of resinous rubbers is dealt 

 with, followed by a discussion of reclaimed rubber under various 

 heads, as well as references to standard patents on processes. 

 In the following section, the physical and chemical properties 

 of crude rubber are discussed, as well as coagulation in its dif- 

 ferent forms. This discussion serves as an appropriate introduc- 

 tion to the third section, which is devoted to the various processes 

 of rubber synthesis discovered in recent years by leading 

 scientists. 



In the concluding paragraphs of the work reference is made 

 to the statement of Dr. Duisberg at New York in 1912, to the 

 effect that tho the solution of the synthetic problem was very 

 near, it had not been as yet definitely and practically discovered. 

 The opinion of the authors of this work is summarized in the 

 view that two solutions, both of industrial possibility, have been 

 put forward — that of Dr. Hoffmann and Dr. Coutelle, of the 

 P.ayor \\'orks, and that of the English group led by Messrs. 



