Dkckmbur 1, 1915.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



The French Rubber Situation. 



HERE in France, news ami iiifunnatioii circulate more by 

 word of mouth than through publication channels, and 

 for this reason it is no easy matter to give a complete 

 review of conditions, as one cannot ask too many questions or 

 make too extensive inquiries without raising uncomfortable sus- 

 picion. The whole country is heart and soul in the war and com- 

 mercial as well as industrial conditions, though secondary, are 

 iimproving daily. 



I When the order to mobilize came, a year a,go last August, all 

 'able-bodied men, regardless of rank or occupation, were called 

 jto arms from factories and commercial institutions. This state 

 of affairs continued until after the battle of the Marne, when the 

 situation was mastered and steps taken to repair past mistakes. 



We had an army tor ilefensive pur, o-es only 

 had to be created. 

 That done, we 

 started reorganiz- 

 ing and adapting 

 ourselves to new 

 conditions. Tech- 

 nical experts and 

 skilled labor were 

 released from the 

 armies and put to 

 work in the fac- 

 tories. Attention 

 was tirst given to 

 factories working 

 for the essential 

 needs of our de- 

 fenders. H e a V y 

 artillery was cre- 

 ated, railroad 

 lines constructed, 

 the production of 

 ammunition or- 

 ganized, the aviation corps provided not only with great num- 

 bers of new machines, but also with new types of planes and 

 motors, and our motor transportation service increased and 

 perfected. 



Like other industries, the rubber industry was paralyzed by the 

 mobilization. But rubber is essential to luodern warfare, and so 

 our rubber factories were soon reorganized and set to work again 

 with skilled labor and technical management, as were also the 

 munitions factories which, by the way, like our most important 

 rubber factories, are in Central France aTul the Paris district well 

 behind the "front." 



The leading branch in our rubber industry has always been the 

 manufacture of tires, and of all rubber articles, tires are the most 

 important in modern warfare. Soldiers now ride in motor cars, 

 and motor cars and trucks keep them supplied with food and 

 inunitions. Motor tractors draw the big guns that are con- 

 stantly changing positions and motor trucks supply these monsters 

 of destruction with ammunition. These motors all use tires, 

 either solid or pneumatic, but always rubber. For this our fac- 

 tories were well prepared and as .soon as the needed labor and 

 staffs returned from the army, work went on night and day, so 

 smoothly and effectively that our factories supply all our rubber 

 needs and are now able to extend their trade in the Orient, in 

 South America and in Africa. Our rubber factories are now 

 abundantly provided with skilled workmen and technical experts. 

 They are not only producing tires, but also all the rubber sun- 



dries and surgical goods required by our army and navy medical 

 service. The only branch somewhat curtailed is the me- 

 chanical, and this is because the Germans still occupy the most 

 important market for mechanical rubber goods in Northern 

 France. 



.\s a rubber manufacturing district, the Northern departments 

 were never as important as those of the Paris district or of the 

 central part of this country, but they were our largest consumers 

 of manufactured rubber. The mines of the Xord and of the Pas-de- 

 Calais produced at least two-thirds of our total output of coal. 

 Our spinning industry was in Lille, our linen industry in Armen- 

 tiers, Lille and St. Quentin, our cloth and woolen industries were 

 in Roubaix and Tourcoing. Enormous furnaces, rolling mills, 

 ks, electrical and meclianical construction works, glass 

 works, etc., were 

 scattered along 

 the Belgian fron- 

 tier throughout 

 the districts now 

 occupied by our 

 enemies. These 

 districts were 

 second only to 

 the Paris district 

 in industrial 

 wealth, while ag- 

 riculturally they 

 were the richest 

 in F'rance. All 

 these industries 

 were great pur- 

 chasers of me- 

 chanical rubber 

 goods ; likewise 

 the great distil- 

 leries, breweries, 

 sugar factories and other industries of Xorthern France. 



The fine pleasure cars as well as the ponderous trucks that tra- 

 versed the northern "paves" — the cobble-paved roads of Xorthern 

 France — all used rubber tires, and their number was exceeded 

 only by those of the Paris district. This once beautiful and 

 wealthy part of our country is closed to us now, but we hope to 

 have it back before many months. 



.Mthough the invaded provinces were not great producers of 

 rubber goods, it inay be of interest to your readers to know that 

 there were about 50 plants in these districts engaged in the 

 manufacture of rubber goods and the production of chemicals, 

 ingredients, accessories »and machinery used in the manufacture 

 of rubber and gutta percha. The following are some of the 



Soft .wd II.xrii Kihbkr (Joods. 



Bans, Lhoinme, Nord ; Gustave Boinet & Cie., St. Quentin, 

 Xord ; E. Degrave, Roubaix, Nord ; Butrulle & Masquelier, 

 Tourmignies, Xord; Lysines du Coq Frangais, Roubaix. Xord; 

 Destriez & Cie., Pont-a-Marc(|, Nord; Michel Jackson, Malluin, 

 Xord ; Lefebvre, Pont-a-Marcq, Nord ; Mazure, Roubaix. Nord : 

 F. Montreux & Tyberghien, I lalluin, Xord ; \'oIber X'ailley, 

 .\isne; I'linois, Colmant & Cuvelier. Lille, Xord; Dedale- 

 Rivelois, Roubaix, Nord, and Colonial Rubber Co., Thiant. Xord. 

 Chemicals and Compoiini>ing Ingrkdients. 



Societe .\nonyme des Mines de Malhdano, Xoyelles-Godault, 

 P. D. C. (chalk); Gortschalk, St. .*\mand-les-Eaux, Nord 

 (chalk) ; Societe Frangaise La Baryte de Commine.s. Coramines, 

 Xord (harvtes); l.ufbery & Chardonnier, Chauny, Aisne (rub- 



