April 1. 1915.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



409 



JAPAN'S COMMERCE IN CRUDE RUBBER AND 

 RUBBER GOODS. 

 'in- Regular < 'orr t spondent. 

 (~\\ FICIA1 statistii of Japan's commerce in crude rubber and 

 ^S manufactured rubber g Is for 1''14 show a slight de- 

 crease in imports o) both these commodities, in value and quan- 

 tity, with an increase of more than 100 per cent, in exports oi 

 rubber manufactures. 



The influence of the war has been felt, due to the interruption, 

 in August, of rubber imp* > r t ~ as well as all foreign m 

 munications During September and October small quantities 

 of rubber, which was badly needed by the manufacturers, were 

 imported from Shanghai and Hongkong, where man) -hips were 

 detained. The embarg. on -rude rubber exports from British 

 colonies seriou ed the Japanese trade and imports dur- 



ing Novembei reached their lowest point, increasing in D< 

 her to 115.273 pounds, valued at $59,815. It is estimated that 

 had n not been for the war crude rubbei imports would have 

 considerably exceeded those of 1913, corresponding with thi 

 crease in imports of rubber manufactures. The following table 

 shows crude rubber imports of 1914, with their sources, in com- 

 parison with those of 1913: 



IMPORTS OF CRUDE RUBBER INTO JAPAN 



I'M t. 



Froi P Value. 



1 , 340.34 I 106,6 6 



lements 1,657,265 885,602 1,646,556 



\ lands ' 



Britain 440,802 408,865 224,500 159,312 



United States 139.624 100,112 11,914 



I I . countries 



Total 2,305,262 $1,073,319 



Imports of manufactured rubber g Is decreased about 40 per 



cent , a decrease attributed to the fact that Japanese manufac- 

 turers are now producing rubbei got d reo gnized by the people 

 of this country as equal to those of foreign manufacture — 

 with the exception of some special lines now in an experimi 

 stage. In addition to the imports of manufactured rubber 



g Is for the years 1913 .i<.\A 1914 shown below, automobiles and 



parts (including tires) were imported to the value of $249,211 

 in !' : 14. against $555,023 in 1913, and bicycles and pans (ex- 

 clusive of tiresi to the value of $517,548 in 1914 against $1,- 

 065,141 in 1913. 



IMPORTS iH RUBBER MANUFACTURES INTO JAPAN. 



1913. l r 'M. 



Pounds. Value. Pounds. Value. 



Reclaimed rubber and unvulcan- 



ized rubbei 452.801 $! 



Dental rubber 20,356 I 20,464 39,142 



Soft— 



Rods ind cords 15 44.606 105,193 44,264 



Plates and sheets 90 606 19,106 



Tubes 100,424 41,483 73,460 



Belts and belting for ma- 

 chinery 54,6 19, i I 17,677 



Thread, strips, bands, rings 



and washers ". ; 70,607 57,473 



Other soft goods 63.741 15 30,105 21,774 



Hard- 

 Lumps, bars in rods, plates 



and sheets 41,077 36,395 23,544 



Other hard goods 14,7 = 4 15,080 10,541 



Bicycle tires 428,980 519,498 182,226 



Insulated electric wires: Ar- 

 i! m tali 

 Submarine telegi aphic and 



telephonic cables 463,245 



Other armored cables S. 848, 593 930,481 1,760,118 187,113 



Flexible cords 40,1 12,378 14,330 4,73d 



Other cords 18/ 10 99,969 29,998 



Rubber boots (pairs) 13,06 25,707 5,699 9,576 



- pairs) 17,737 25.343 



\\ en beltings for machinery, 



and hose 605.676 280.392 389,370 IS 



Waterproof tissue 29.590 22,090 14. '135 



Elastic webbing, cords and 



braids 32.178 



Insulating tapes 185.009 280.392 56.532 21.267 



total $2,648,727 $1,489,057 



Although the disturbed financial conditions due to the war 



affected to some extent the home consumption of rubber goods, 



such demand as existed was supplied largely with the product 



i tories, taking thi place of European g Is. 



i irt has been prohil it pn ihibiti 



rubber exports \<<] also to a « duction of Ja] - rub- 



manufactures into China and other parts of Asia, the 

 with China showing a vi ease in certain lines. 



- following are the figures covering 



EXPORTS OF JAPANESE RUBBER MA.N'fl .1 



' 







I 



205,160 B82.792 543.135 



I .tal $33". $740,063 



Then w exported in 1914 jinrikishas and parts, cx- 



clusive oi tires, to thi --.due o | 04,71 - against similar exports 

 in 1913 to the value of $152,981. 



THE CONSUMPTION OF COTTON IN JAP/N. 



Japan obtains most oi her raw cotton from India. Im 

 of this material from the United States showed a constant in- 

 crease until I'd,!, rising from $14,361,734 in 1907 to $32,305,577 

 in 1912. Cotton imports into Japan from the United St 

 fell in 1913 to $32,110,172, show..: of $195,405 as 



compared with the previous yeai \t the same tune cotton im- 

 pi rts from India. Egypt and othi an in- 



crease for 1913. In that year Japan took almost half 

 i pro, in, ii, ,n. or quantities valued 19,586. 



BOTTLE BINGS AND THE WAR. 



Among the first rubber articles in Germany to he affected by 

 war were the small rubber rings used in providing air-tight 



stopp, rs lor leer, soda and mineral water hollies \s soon as 



it was learned that the government intended to supervise and 

 limit the use of crude rubber, brewers, wholesale manufacturers 

 and bottlers of beer and Selters wen- active in purchasin; 

 the rubber bottle rings they could obtain, with the result that 

 such rings ware soon Selling at very high prices and a little- 

 later Could ti't be obtained at any price. 



\s yet ti" substitute for rubber rings has been discovered. 

 Paper, pulp, tinfoil and other rings and stoppers have been re- 

 sorted to. but these can only be used once and do not take the 

 place of the reliable rubber rings and discs. Black and dark 

 gray bottle rings, made of rubber substitutes, an being used 

 through necessity. These have not the quality of durability, but 

 to a certain extent they take the place of rubber. It is 

 able whether or not these rubber substitute rings will stand 

 contact with certain mineral waters. However, "war rings" will 

 o, be used until peace .s established, and then the Germans 

 will go back to the little red rubber bottle rings formerly so 

 gi nerallv in u 



RUBBERIZED HEAD PROTECTORS. 



A German inventor has re ently patented a head protector 

 made in one piece, of rubberized material, which thoroughly 

 protects the entire head of the wearer. This protector can 

 be worn under a helmet, such as aviators wear, or any other 

 style of In a< Igi ai 



Another head protector, oi German invention, 

 especially for military use. is quite simple. It is cut from a 

 piece of rubberized fabric, is triangular in shape and forms 

 two lappets \ running string is attached to the upper 

 of the protector and the wearer uses this string to fasten the 

 gear to the outside of his helmet. He then folds the two lap- 

 pets, tight and left, under his chin and fastens them in a knot 

 at the back of his neck. 



Replete with information for rubber manufacturers —Mr. 

 Pearson'- "(rude Rubber and Compounding Ingredients." 



