December 1, 1914] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



147 



The British Embargo on Crude Rubber. 



A Joint Committee of Manufacturers and Importers Appeals to Washington. 



WHEN late in October cables were received in New York 

 stating that England had placed an embargo on thi hip 

 ments of crude rubber from any British colonial ports to 

 any point except London, and when, about the same time, othei 

 cables were received intimating that the government was about 

 to place an embargo on all crude rubber shipments From the 

 home ports of England as well, the rubber trade of the United 

 s was quick to realize tin- seriousness of the situation. A 

 joint meeting was held on November _' oi th< i icecutive commit- 

 tee oi tin' Rubbei Club oi America and a special committee 

 appointed by the Rubber I rade Association of New York. As a 

 result of this meeting a committei oi manufacturers and im- 

 porters was appointed, consisting of the following members: 

 II. Stuart Hotchkiss, of the Tinted States Rubber Co.; Arthur 

 Marks, of The B, F". Goodrich Co.; George B. Hodgman, of 

 the Hodgman Rubbei Co., president of the Rubber Club of 

 Amenta, and Win E. Bruyn, president of the Rubber ["radi 

 Association of New York, who were to see wdiat steps might In- 

 taken to relieve the situation. The committee at once got into 

 communication with the State Department and brought to die 

 attention of the Acting Secretary the great hardship that would 

 fall upon the rubber industrj of this country if this embargo 

 were long to continue. The two letters sent out by the secretary 

 of the Rubber Club to leading members of the trade, which 

 arc given below, indicate what has been done by the committei 

 and how the matter now stands : 



November 17, 1914. 

 Announcement was made on November 1<> that the British 

 Government had placed an embargo on all shipments of crude 

 rubber from England in addition to that formerly placed on direct 

 shipments from her colonies. This embargo seems to have been 

 due to the re-exportation of crude rubber from the United States 

 to the enemies of Great Britain. 



I In matter was taken up at once with the proper authorities 

 at Washington by the special joint committee of rubber importers 

 and manufacturers with a view to making some arrangement 

 whereby these embargoes may be raised through a guarantee 

 that the rubber will not be re-exported. 



IF. S. VoRHlS, Secretary. 

 November 24, 1914. 

 The joint committee of rubber manufacturers and importers 

 lias been in constant touch with Washington and London since 

 its report on November 17. It believes that it is working thi 

 every public and private channel available. So far nothing 

 tangible has resulted and the committee regrets that it can only 

 report that it will spare neither time nor expense in its efforts 

 to relieve the situation. 



As the matter now stands, rubber cannot be imported into the 

 United States from any British port. England has the power to 

 withhold her rubber from us. Until she is sure that her wants 

 are fully supplied and is convinced that rubber coming to the 

 United States will not be re-exported to her enemies, the em 

 bargo probably will not be raised. Your committee is working 

 along these lines. 



A joint committee has been appointed by the Rubber Growers' 

 Association and the Rubber Trade on of London, which 



is to confer at once with the proper British cabinet officer to 

 ascertain i-f some arrangement cannot be made to lift the eml 

 This committee is perating in every way with the ji int com- 

 mittee of manufacturers and importers of the United States. 



U.S. VoRH i-. Secretary. 



It need only be added that the situation is the same now as 

 mentioned in the secretary's letter of the 24th. The British Gov- 

 ernment as yet has given no intimation as to its action. 



OTHER APPEALS TO THE STAT] DEPARTMENT. 



In addition to the activities of the joint committee mentioned 

 above, appeals have been made to the State Department from 

 private quarters. Among these was one sent late in October by 



\Y. L Wadleigh, who recently established the firm of Wadleigh 



& Co., Limited, in Singapore, for the purpose of buying and 



shipping crude rubber direct to manufacturers in the United 



In reply to his letter he received the following com- 



municati rom the Acting Secretary of State: 



Department of State, Washington. 

 November 6, 1914. 

 Mr W. L. Wadleigh, Sir : Referring to youi letter of October 

 24, 1914, and to tins department's reply of November 3, 1914, 

 ding thi embargo against the shipment of crude rubber 

 from British Colonial ports to the United States, you are in- 

 formed that the department recently telegraphed the American 

 ambassador at London. England, that American interests desire 

 the lifting of the embargo on rubber, and requested the 

 ambassador to ascertain upon what grounds this embargo had 

 been instituted, and whether shipments might l"' allowed to the 

 United States from Great Britain, her colonii ncies. 



ilar telegram was sent to the American < onsu) General at 

 Singapore, Straits Settlements, with the additional statement that 

 American importers would doubtless, if required i 'guarantee 

 i thi n exportation of the raw materials received. 

 \ hi. -ram just received from Singapore states that the 

 American Consul is awaiting information as to the grounds for 

 the embargo and whether exportation to the United States would 

 be permitted if a guarantee against us re exportation was given. 

 It ,, added that the exportation oi gutta and jelutong is now 

 permitted. 



You will be advised when further iniormation is received. 

 I am, sir. your obedient servant. 



i Signed I Robert Lansing, Acting Secretary of State. 



WHAT NEW YORK IMPORTERS THINK OF THE SITUATION. 

 New York rubber importers, when recently interviewed in re- 

 gard to the British embargo, appeared to entertain somewhat 

 different opinions as to its operation and effect. A member of a 

 large importing house spoke as follows: 



"It has been privately understood from the British consul that 

 England lias no desire to interfere with legitimate American 

 rubber export trade. It is believed rubber shipped from the 

 United Slates is reaching Germane through Norway. Sweden, 

 Denmark and Italy. As soon as satisfactory guarantees can be 

 made, and certified papers exchanged between the British consul 

 and the consul of the countries to which the rubber is being 

 shipped showing that it is a bona tide shipment to a non-com- 

 batant the restriction will be removed. I lure is no question but 

 London has plenty of rubber as evidenced by the recent reduc- 

 tion of price from 27 d. to 2Sd. The embargo will be lilted in a 

 few days, as soon as satisfactory arrangements can be made con- 

 trolling United States shipments." 



Another importer took a somewhat different view. Here is 

 what he had to say on the situation: 



"There is belief in some quarters that London is short of 

 rubber and the embargo ruling is the result of England's desire 

 to be assured that her rubber suppb will not be interfered with. 

 It does not appear from the strict watch the I mud States 

 Government is keeping on ruler shipments that England can 

 have any serious ground in believing that great quantities ot 



rubber are reaching her enemies bj way of the United Si 



Another said that there was but little rubber in sight and no 



large cargoes afloat, and if he had any quantity of rubber on 



hand he would hold it for the advance which he believed 



inevitable. 



II. M Leake, Economic Botanist, United Provinces, India 

 I,, ,, appointed principal of the Agricultural College Cawi 



He is a son of W. Martin Leake, secretary of the Ceylon As- 

 sociation, London. 



Sweden's output of rubber shoes in 1912 represented 3.869,066 

 pairs, value $2,128,997. Imports of rubber at Goteborg amounted 

 in 1912 to 558,728 pounds, and in 1913 to 622,405 pounds. 



