J I NE ]. 1M15. ] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



485 



volts, and ;it temperatures up to 400 degrees F. it remains 

 uninjured. Wood flour is also used as a filler, in which case 

 temperatures up to 250 degrees F. are safe 



While the product is quite Strong, it is not flexible to any 

 extent and in this respect is not like hard rubber. Having no 

 sulphur in ii? composition, metals may be imbedded in it 

 saiely. It shares with rubber an indifference to acids and 

 alkalies and chemicals generally. It is practically fireproof, 

 in which it has a great advantage over celluloid. 

 VULCANIZED FIBER. 



When cellulose is treated with metallic chlorides — generally 

 zinc chloride — it is partially dissolved, softened and rendered 

 adhesive. Usually sheets oi paper thus treated are stuck to- 

 gether to form a thick sheet. This is vulcanized fiber. It is 

 molded by pressure, is tough and somewhat elastic and can 

 be worked with tools. It may be considered as a substitute 

 for hard rubber in some respects. Its great weakness is its 

 susceptibility to moisture, and it requires a coating of water- 

 proof composition. 



EXPLAINING THE EMBARGO GUARANTEES TO 

 DEALERS. 



IN order that the manufacturers of automobiles and dealers 

 •1 who purchase any pan of their supplies from the manufac- 

 turers of rubber g Is maj have a perfectly clear understanding 



of the guarantees which the rubber manufacturer- have been 

 obliged to give the British Government in order to secure a 

 MippK of crude rubber, the Rubber Control Committee of The 

 Rubber Club of America, Inc., has prepared a letter setting forth 

 the conditions included under the guarantee in detail I he in- 

 tention is to supply the manufacturers with this letter in suf- 

 ficient quantities to distribute to all their customers. The letter 

 will be printed on the letter-heads of the Rubber Club, and will 

 ■ furnished .it the least possible cost. A copy ol this letter — 

 which is given in full below— was mailed by the chili's secretary 

 b ill the manufacturers of the country on May 4. It is as 

 [i ill. nvs : 



Important — Careful Attention Requested. 



the british rubber embargo. 



To Dealers in Automobiles, Automobile Supplies and Rubber 

 Goods : 



In order that the situation in which American tire and rubber 

 goods manufacturers find themselves on account of Great Bri- 

 tain's embargo on crude rubber may be as widely known as pos- 

 sible, it has been thought best that full details should be given to 

 all handlers of tires and rubber goods, in the hope that they 

 would extend the fullest co-operation to the rubber manufactur- 

 er- in carrying out both the letter and the spirit of the guarantees 

 the latter have given to the British government. 



During the past few years American rubber manufacturers 

 have been obtaining their supplies of crude rubber in increasing 

 measure from the Federated Malay States and Ceylon, both of 

 which arc British possessions, until at the present time over 50 

 pi r cent, of the raw material comes from these colonies. 



On November 12. 1914, the British Government placed an abso- 

 lute embargo on all exportations of crude rubber from the British 

 Empire, and a- a result this source of supply was completely shut 

 off from rubber manufacturers in the United State- until the 

 following January when the British Government derided to allow 

 rubber to come forward under certain conditions. 



Ilie modifications of the absolute embargo were brought about 

 through the united efforts of The Rubber Club of America. Inc.. 

 and the Rubber Trade Association of London, whose joint com- 

 mittee appeared before the British Government and made the 

 necessary arrangements. 



In this connection it is to be noted that the United Si 

 Government was unable to give assistance to the rubber manu- 

 facturers in this country. It was found to be purely a question 

 as between the American rubber manufacturers and the British 

 Government. Regardless of the feelings of Americans in the 

 matter, it was simply a case of purchasing rubber from the coun 

 try producing it on the terms laid down by that country, or on 

 the other hand being entirely cut off from that most important 

 source of supply- 



After nearly two months' negotiations, th< British Government 

 formulated the following rubber guarantee, which has been 

 signed by all i i tin bailing rubber manufacturers in the United 

 States 



Rl BBER GUARAN I 



In consideration of your consenting to the delivery 

 to u- of crude rubber, we, 



hereby give you the following undertaking, which 

 shall remain in force so long as Great Britain is at 

 war with any 1 no ipi an Pi iwer I 



We will not export from the United States any 

 raw rubber, reclaimed rubber, or waste rubber, 

 whether the same ha- been imported from the British 

 Dominions or not, otherwise than to the United 

 Kingdom or to a British Possession. 



We will not sell the rubber now delivered by you 

 to any dealer or other person or persons in the 

 I nited States, but will use it for our own manu- 

 turing purposes. 



All orders received by us for manufactured or 

 partly manufactured rubber goods to be sent to neutral 

 European countries shall be executed from stocks 

 maintained bj us in the United Kingdom or be exe- 

 cuted bj shipments to the United Kingdom and re- 

 shipment from there under license to be obtained 

 for export therefrom 



We will not execute any orders for manufactured 

 or partly manufactured rubber goods to be sent 

 either directly or indirectly to any country or State 

 at war with Great Britain. 



We will not sell any manufactured or partly manu- 

 factured rubber goods to air. person in the United 

 States without satisfying ourselves thai there is no 

 intention on bis part to export or resell the same 

 for exportation to any countries in Europe other 

 than Great Britain. France, or Russia, otherwise than 

 1. -hipping to the United Kingdom and reshipping 

 from there, under license to be obtained for export 

 therefrom. 



If we export any manufactured or partly manufac- 

 tured rubber goods to a destination outside Europe 

 not being in a British Possession, we will, prior to 

 or simultaneously with the shipment, give you par- 

 ticular- of the goods so shipped and their destina- 

 tion 



All rubber tires exported by us or sold by us for 

 export shall bear a distinctive name or mark, which 

 we will communicate to you, so as to identify them 

 as being our manufacture. 

 These are the condition- under which practically all manufac- 

 turers of tires and rubber goods arc operating today. Any seri- 

 ous deviation from these terms of sale would possibly mean that 

 the absolute embargo on rubber might again be placed in force. 

 in which case it would doubtless be much more difficult to per- 

 suade Great Britain to accept the guarantees of American manu- 

 facturers. Such action would result in about 250.000 pi 

 directly and indirectly employed in the rubber industry being 

 thrown out of employment, besides inflicting great hardship on 

 all consumers of tires and rubber goods. 



The rubber manufacturers of the United States, therefore, 

 through tlnir trade organization, wish to communicate these 

 facts to you and ask for your co-operation in fulfilling the terms 

 of the guarantees they have given to Great Britain. 



You will bservi that all rubber manufacturers must satisfv 

 themselves that there is no intention on the part of their cus- 

 tom, r- to exporl or resell tires or rubber goods for exportation 

 in an, countries in Europe, other than Creat Britain, France 

 and Russia, otherwise than bj shipping to the United Kingdom 

 and reshipping from there under license to be obtained foi 

 port therefrom. Thi- is the paragraph that all handlers of tires 

 and rubber goods should fix in their memory and be careful to 

 observe, as it i- being found that Great Britain is most desirous 

 of preventing direct shipments from the United States to neutral 

 European countries. Ml such shipments must be made bv way 

 of some porl in the United Kingdi m 



Yours very truly. 



H. S. Yorhis. Secretarv. 

 May 4. 1015. 



In the cargo of thi I usitania," of the Cunard Line, destroyed 

 by submarine on May 7, there was only a small quantity of rub- 

 $341 worth of rubber scrap. $131 of manufactured rubber 

 g. 1- and $347 of reclaimed rubber; making a total of $81°. 



