Evening Star Newspaper, August 23, 1925, Page 41

PHILIPPINES OFFER CURB ; ON MONOPOLY IN RUBBER Jsland Output Rated ally in U. S. There Say 1t free of monopoly. N its effort to shake i the British rubber l America is turning toward the Philippine Islands. The rubber- producing possibilities of the is- Jands s the subject of a report re- cently made public by the Department ©f Commerce, which holds that under ¥avorable conditions an annual maxi- anum output of 70,000 tons could be yroduced there. The United today imports vubber. But from the director of the Phil- dppine Forestry Bureau, Arthur J'ischer, comes a criticism that the estimates of the Department of Com- gnerce experts are entirely too small. Jle insists that the maximum potential crude rubber possibilities of the is- nds is 1,500,000 tons Annually, a Vastly different figure. ‘Would Destroy Monopoly. The discrepancy in the estimate: Towever, is not of such vital impor- ce as the fact that the Philippine Jslands are the potential source of Yubber in such quantities as would wmake It impossible for the British ©r any other nation to continue a xmonopoly of the crude rubber trade to | . the detriment of the American man ufacturers, as they have done aund #re doing, forcing the price of rub ber to undreamed-of-heights through Alie restriction of rubber production in the British colonies in the East Indie: Rubber has become one of the basic yaw materfals of industry in runtry, which uses about 75 per cent ©f the rubber production of the world. It is a long stretch from Ceylon, for example, to the end of a lead pencil in a little red schoolhouse in the Ynited States, but rubber has made i ‘The tremen us increase in the a Yomobile industry has given the rub- ber trade an impetus almost over- might. The American manufacturing industry is looking for fields of rubber yroduction not controlled by foreign yowers, and the government is add ing it. 'Tn its report on Philippine po wibllitles the Department of Com- merce, declaring 70,000 tons could be stern portion of the islands about 1.500,000 acres are suitable for rub ber ralsing. ] Making World Survey. The report marks the completion of another sta in the department’s world-wide survey of the rubber situ- ion, started 18 months ago at the instance of Congress and the trades. when it became apparent that the legalized restriction of the plantation rubber output in British possessiol might menace American consumers. In recent months high rubber prices, feared by the American industry at the outset of the British restriction vrogram, have been realized. Director_Fischer Bureau of Forestry. tends that the islands contain 12,000 square miles of land (more than 7,000,000 acres) capable of producing rubber, and that when trees are full grown they should produce 400 pounds to the acre annually. Efforts are being made by Gen Leonard Wood. governor general, and the Legislature of the islands to aid in the extension of the rubber indu: try in the Philippines. ‘When nature planted the rubber tree in the tropics she endowed man richly. Ru-ber does not come from the sap of the tree, as does maple sirup. Instead, it is a sticky, milky juice of the tree flowing through sur- face cells just beneath the bark. It is known as latex and nourishes the tree through the latex system, ac- cording to a statement by the Ame; can Nature Association of Washing- ton. There are more than 100 trees throughout the tropical belt encircling the world that produce juice that will make rubbér. It, however, is a somewhat helterskeiter propert. , Some of the trees in the four groups “ generally credited with producing caoutchouc do not live up to the family tradition, while other outside lands do possess the property. Demand Was Encouraged. A quarter of a century ago (lle orld drew its rubber from the native forests. Wasteful methods prevailed #nd the world commenced to roll about in horseless carriages with soft tires. Demand leaped forward with the encouragement of custom, dis- covery and invention. Thus the twentieth century has seen forestry principles applied to rubber-tree plantations set out, rotation of corps invoked and an agricultural order brought into rubber production that eventually must find its way into America’s timber-producing areas.’ To the valley of the Amazon and the commercially known Para rub- ber is generally accorded the palm for superiority. In the lowlands, hot with steam of tropic sun and river urses, hevea brasiliensis prospers often to 60 feet in height and grows with two or three near relatives, all . ©f whom are rich producers of rubber. In Brazil is a smaller tree that pro- duces cerea rubber when it has reached two years of age. In Guiana two species of hevea guayengis and paucifolia, provide the rubber yield, while the Pernambuco rubber comes from a small drooping tree posse: ing a somewhat inferior rubber qual- ity however, con Reaches Great Size. Much of the rubber coming into the United States originates with a re tive of the bread fruit tree. This rubber_tree is a_elastica, na- ilve of Ecuado: Columbia and Central America. This tree zyows to considerable height and often reaches three feet around the trunk. In Malaya, Siam, Burma, and other tropical states g rubber-fig, ficus elastica, but transplanted Para rubber trees of Brazil have made this section of im- portance in the rubber-producing world. Africa has its funtnuia elastica of the Ivory coast, and the Kongo a tal, erect tree giving a_kind of rubber known lagos silk. There are other lesser centers and other in- teresting trees, for nature has widely distributed her largess of rubber. Methods of cultivating rubber plan- tations differ as well as processes of gathering. A rubber plantation is created much as a forest-tree plan- tation would be. Nurseries are main- tained for the production of seedling rubber trees, raised from seed. The seed of the Para rubber tree, which may be accepted as the most truly representative of its large coterie of fellows, is a mottled brown, some- what like a chestnut, though larger. 1t is enclosed in a pod and drops out as the hull cracks, In the better plantations care is exercised in se- lecting the seed for the nursery. Produce in Five Yea ows the The youthful trees sprout quickly | and are soon ready for transplanting. | In rows to about 200 trees to an acre the leafy sources of our rubber sup- ply climb upward, and in the case of Para rubber are ready to produce their first small crop at the end of flve years. Meanwhile care has been taken to keep down weeds and to cut out the trees that do not live up to the promise of the seed. When 20 inches around at 3 feet from the zround the tree can ptart to serve and can go on serving this | | of the Philippine at 70,000 Tons Annu- Report—Expert s 1,500,000. for several decades if the good nature of the trees Is not imposed upon by too much tapping or by disease al- lowed to aitack them from lack of care. Tapping is, then, an important episode in the life of the rubber tree. It is a science that the natives have long practiced, and in which they have gained remarkable deftness. Tt is also something about which the cultivator is still learning. Care Is Required. A daily call upon the rubber tree and wide slashes upon its skin is giving way to ulwr* e tapping and more restricted slasNing. Tapping is an early morning . beginning at daylight and stopping by nine in the morning. A thin shaving of bark is taken off diagonally across a varving t of the tree’s circumference with a sharp tool like a furrier's blade. It requires deftne: nd care, for a cut too deep exposes the tree to dis-| se_and one cut too thin impedes | the flow of juice. There are vari- ations in tapping incisions, but they | all seek to reach the valuable latex to free it so that it will gather in the | porcelain cups at the lower end of the incision. The properly tapped tree { will heal quickly, but just how long plantation tres will live and yield | iinder scientific and careful handling still in the realm of conjecture. ime has not yet been long enough to allow conclusions. Once the rubber tree had yielded up the gift that nature stored within it, men turned his inventive genius to transform it. From the porcelain | cups the sticky fluid is emptied into | milk cans, dusky natives gathering the run under tropic suns, much as far north Vermonters gather maple ap under the cold blue of an early pring sky. Prepared in Several Forms. For the market the Para rubber is | prepared in several forms. The more | erude method of making “biscuits"— |rich brown, 60-pound " biscuits. of crude rubber—still prevails some- what, particularly in Brazil. A wood- en paddle dipped in_the fluid, held over the smoke of burning leaves, dipped again and again, gradually a quired its rubber biscuit. Newer practices, the American Na- | ture Association points out, have im- “1- oved the handling here are three main forms f preparation, ismoked sheet, thin ale crepe nd thick pale crepe. The first looks for jall the world like black molasses |candy. 1t has its thickness of about rter inch, its rich blackness and ¥ surface, but it smells something like bacon. It has been coagulated by |2 smoke bath and various planta- tions senerally stamp their particular | brana. The thin pale crepe is about the thickness and color of lemon-colored |flannel. The thick pale crepe would | pass for tripe in any company with its lemon tinting and half inch thick- ness. A chemical, usually acetic acid, is used to hasten coagulation and the heavier m after straining and | mixing the acid, is milled and pressed |into one or the other of the crepe |forms. ~After a brief drying it is | ready to be baled and shipped off to | the myriad factories waiting to turn {it into tires, tubes, bathing caps, | erasers, rubber bands, balloons and |a thousand and one other things. French explorers of early days made special studies of rubber. Neverthe. less it was regarded main'- as a curiosity for a long time. Native | products come from the colonies in South America and haphazard experi ment went on in several Latin coun- tries. It was in England, however, that the first success at manufac- | ture was won, and an interesting Page in nature-économic history writ en. After failure of a patent in 1771 | for waterproofing cloth with a thin layer of melted rubber, and the col- lapse for want of proper machinery of an attempt to weave strips of rub- Ler, Charles Macintosh of Glasgow in 1823 obtained a patent and started making cloth with rubber between two layers of fabric. He gave his name to this type of material and so it Is known today. About the same time Thomas Hancock was experi- menting and making successfully ar- | ticles using the elasticity of ruhber. | Vulcanizing Discovered by Accident. Early attempts to manufacture rub- ber in the United States were made during the first 40 years of the nine- | teenth century. They were not very successful, although Nathaniel Hay ward, experimenting with the rubber stock in a Weburn, Mass., factory that had_failed, worked out a process of mixing rubber with sulphur and treat- ing it with acid gas fumes. Charles Goodyear of Connecticut, had previ- ously figured out a similar method but neither were entirely satisfactory. Goodyear purchased the Hayward rights ‘and set about to devote his fortune and his life to taming rubber. It is told that he had made a mixture of rubber with sulphur and was dis- cussing it with friends one cold night in the kitchen. A piece of rubber in his hand hit the red hot door of the Kitchen stove. It stuck to the stove and hardened without melting. Good- year excitedly got a knife, scraped the lump from the stove and washed it. He had discovéred vulcanized rubber and forged the link that connected rubber with the thousands of uses it has today. . Japanese Preparing Mobilization Bureau Japan’s army intends to establish a mobilization bureau to study and pre pare for national mobilization in times {of emergency. Having disposed of other changes, Lieut. Gen. Ugaki, war minister, is ready to deal { the problem. The bureau will inv wate as to what natural resources may be utilized in times of war and the | amount of the resources necessary the sustenance of the nation and the y and the navy in wartime. The establishment of an similar to the board of census, now defunct, is advocated by the war minister, to | supply material on which the new bu- | reau may begin work. |"“Army authorities have decided to | create the bureau in the army, as the abinet leaders, owing to lack of funds, are opposed to the establish- ment of an independent organ in the | government. The war minister, how- ever, finds the present situation of the world conducive to the creation of the bureau because European and American powers are endeavoring to prepare themselves with complete systems of national mobilization. | British Are Urged | To Keep Parks Clean King George in opening to the pub- lic one of the most beautiful sections of wooded land near London—the stretch of green timber known for generations as Ken Wood—pleaded with the public to avoid littering the park with wasté paper. The waste nuisance is serious in London. Hyde Park on Monday morn- ings is filled with trash. The King's speech, at least, made a very wide im»l aression. THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, AUGUST 23, 1925—PART 2. - The Story the Week Has Told BY HENRY W. BUNN. HE following is a brief sum- mary of the most important news of the world for seven days ended August 22: * ok ok ¥ United States of America.—No news of any importance regarding the anthracite controversy. The aviators of the MacMillan ex- pedition had proposed to establish an intermediate aviation base approx- imately midway between Ktah, the expedition’s naval base, and the con- templated advance aviation base at Cape Thomas Hubbard, Axel Heiberg Island, but could not find a suitable site. They did, however, establish a base (landing supplies) on Sawyer Bay, on the direct route, Etah-Cape Hubbard, about 90 miles from Etah, and later another more satisfactory base on Flagler Fjord, about the same distance from Etah, but some- what off the direct route. But re- peated efforts to establish a second intermediate base on Cannon Fjord, west coast of Ellesmere Island, and about half way between the bases | established and Cape Hubbard, were thwarted by even worse weather conditions (in especial, fog, and banked clouds) = than _those which had so sadly delayed the previous work. Winter was ad- vancing apace and prematurely. In soaring above the mountains of Ellesmere Island (some higher than 7.000 feet, far higher than had been supposed) the aviators suffered in- tensely from the cold. It was now 18 days since the Bowdoin' and the Peary had droped anchor off Etah. They must hoist anchor by Septem- ber 3 at latest for the homeward journey to avold being ice-locked. One of the threo planes had been badly injured by heavy seas while at anchor and was not yet in com- mission again. Two Liberty motors had gone bad and no spare motors were left. Advised by radio of these circumstances, recognizing that there remained scarcely an outside sport- ing chance of this season establish- ing a base at Cape Hubbard and thence exploring by ever-widening loops the ‘“unexplored region” be- tween the Pole and Alaska, and knowing that sportsmanship would forbid such a proposal from Etah, cretary _ Wilbur radioed Etah, querying whether it might not be bet- ter to throw up the game at once, beaten, mot by any lack of prepara. tion, of judgment or gallantry, but by the unkind elements. Comdr. MacMillan replied (on the 19th), snow The effort has not been wasted only for the knewledge gained of the magznificent topography of Ellesmere Land. The expedition will have more time* than it had counted on for its secondary objects of the return vo; age. The planes will explore the in- terior of Bafin Island, a reglon of great lakes teeming with life of fur nd feathers, by the Eskimos' ac- :ounts. They will also explore the Norse ruins in southern Greenland, and finally they will search in north ern Labrador for the ruins reported by Eskimos, conjectured to be Norse ruins, belike those of the “lost col- ony. An agreement on the method of settlement of the debt of Belgium to the United States has been signed by the members of thé debt commissions of the two nations and by President Coolidge. It distinguishes between the pre-armistice debt and the post-armi- stice debt. As to the former (now, with accrued interest, $246,000,000), the agreements (Interest, etc.) are of prac- tically the same kind as for the Brit- ish debt. But our debt commission considers the latter to be differentiated by certain moral considerations (with which I presume the reader is famil- iar) from all other debts due the United States from foreign countries. Where- fore the commision considered that repayment of only the capital sum (§171,780,000) should be required. Payments are to be spread over 62 years, at a gradually increasing rate to the eleventh year, from and includ- ing which the total yearly payment is to be about $12,700,000. The interest on the post-armistice debt. of $246,000,- 000 (3% per cent after the tenth year) will total about $310,000,000. At the end of 62 years Belgium will have paid approximately $728,000,000. The agre: ment is, of course, subject to ratificaion by the United States Congress and the proper Belglan authorities. The Senate committee on public lands is about to investigate the ad- ministration of the public domain, the Federal forest reserve and the na- tional parks. There is going to be some fun. The Federal forest re- serve comprises 136,000,000 acres, the public domain proper, 186,600,000 acres, the national parks 8,365,000 acres, other Federal holdings about 43,000,000 acres. £ The report appears to be false that the Monogolian government- ordered the third Asiatic expedition of the American Museum of Natural History, headed by Roy Chapman Andrews, to leave Mongolia, making sundry pre- posterous accusations, as that Mr. An drews was carrying on political propa- But it seems that the political conditions are such as to make con- tinuance of research work foolhardy and that the expedition is therefore withdrawing. We shall be glad to have from Mr. Andrews an account of those political conditions, whereof our authentic Information is prac- tically nil. Apparently despite the Russo-Chinese treaty of 1924, pursuant to which Moscow should have ceased from troubling in that quarter, Mus- covite intrigue continues to keep the country in an unspeakable mess. X iy Morocco.—The negotiations or com- munications, or whatever one chooses to call them, relating to peace be- tween the French and Spanish, on the one part, and Abd-el-Krim on the other, have been informal and a lit- tle curious. But the fact is that the Franco- been transmitted to Abd-el-Krim through authorized agents of the lat- ter by authorized agents of the French and Spanish, and that by like route Abd-el-Krim has made it known that he choose to ignore those terms and that he will not formally negotiate save on the condition of prior recog- nition by the French and Spanish of complete independence of the Riff. In other words, If his most essential claim is conceded in advance, he will negotiate, otherwise not. Which seems rather absurd. The Franco- Spanish peace terms offer almost com- plete practical autonomy to the RIiff, coupled with almost entire formal recognition of the sovereignity of the Sultan of Morocco. As Painleve panish peace terms have | points out, to promise complete in- dependence to the Riff would be to traverse treatles to which powers be- sides Spain and France are signatory and dangerously to reopen the whole Moroccan question. The wise ones seemed to think that Abd-el-Krim has been merely pretend- ing to treat, hoping by such pretense to delay Franco-Spanish grand opera- tions until mid-October, when the rainy season begins, and from which time until the Spring Franco-Spanish offensive operations on an important scale would be impossible and the Riffs would be fighting at advantage. The trick, if “trick” is the word, has not worked. The French are evident- ly preparing an effort to deal (with more or less collaboration of the Span- ish) a knockout blow to the RIff chief- tain before the rains. The latter, with his usual sagacity, has shortened his lines and consolidated his key posi- tions. This partly explains the north- ward trek of the tribes. During the past week the French and Spanish have operated with vigor and success. In the Ouezzan section 5,000 of the enemy surrendered un- conditionally to Franco-Spanish forces. So the report, in which there may be some exaggeration. At any rate, it was a great success. The French have recovered most of the ground in front of Tasa lost in July when the Riffs pushed down within six miles of the Fez-Algiers Rallroad. Marshal Petain is on his way back from Paris to Morocco to direct op- erations. * ok * ok Syria.—A kind of settlement has Dbeen patched up .between the French authorities in Syria and the {nsurrec- tionary Hauran Drueses. Pursuant thereto the French have set free cer- tain Druese chieftains and have re- placed the French Governor of Jebel Hauran, so obnoxious to the Drueses, by another officer, and the Drueses have raised the siege of the citadel of Suweda, in which a French detach- ment of 200 was reduced to extremi- ties because of insufficiency of/food and water. Notwithstanding the incessant agi- tation against the French mandate of Syria, there is good reason for the French contention that the ma- jority of Syrians, trusting the French promises of ultimate Syrian indepen- dence, are content with the French mandate, which, despite some errors due to ignorance or insufficiency of tact or judgment, is being exercised on the whole in an enlightened man- ner, to the immense economic ad- vantage of Syria and so as gradually to educate the Syrians for self-govern- ment. N CHINA—The Chinese government has invited the interested powers to send_representatives to a conference on Chinese customs, to open in Pe- king on October 26. The redoubtable Chang Tso-Lin is not dead, as was rumored. ight British missionaries, includ- ing a bishop and five women, in the Province of Sze Chuan, have been kidnaped by bandits. Dr. Howard, the American who was captured by Manchurian bandits some weeks ago, s being well treated by his captors. Let us hope he has the philosphy of Caesar in a similar situation. The bandit camp where he is held is surrounded by Chinese IRECORD PROSPERITY DUE IN FALL, EDITORS ASSERT Survey of Industry and Agriculture in All Parts of Country Brings Only tacking, as the doctor might be killed in the process. Presumably a reason- able composition will be reached on ransom terms. The Canton government has fantas- tically complicated the international situation. That government is outside any of the known categories. Formal- Iy T hear it admitted the authority of the Peking government. Actually it quite ignores that authority. It is a group of extremists, reds, radicals, whatever you please in that sort, for none of our terms is answerable to their discription and to find in them as most do, Mongoloid counterparts of the Muscovite gang, is to find too much or too little. It is doubtful if their control extends much beyond the precincts of Canfon, and that within Canton it is not entirely acceptable is proved by the recent assassination of the finance minister, reputed reddest of the red. But, however, limited or precarious their authority, it is sufficlent to dis- turb the chancelleries of the world. They have issued a set of regulations discriminating against British and Japanese shipping and particularly directed against Hongkong. Whereof the Chinese trade is chiefly via Canton. Two of these regulations are as fol- lows: (1) Vessels of any nationality except British and Japanese, may use any port under the Cantonese juris- diction, but only on_condition that they do not touch at Hongkong: (2) all vessels entering Cantonese ports are subject to search by Cantonese officlals: Nothing can be expected from protest to Peking by the powers af- fected, and to deal directly with the Canton government would be to traverse the sovereignty of Peking. The dilemma. is in fantastic keeping with the whole fantastic Chinese situation. There is a call for world statesmanship of the first order, free of pedantry and buncombe, of quite unprecedented spaciousness, humor and sagacity properly to deal with the Chinese situation, to the transcendent importance of which the world has been curlously and perhaps fatally blind. Behold the Caesar-Cum-Chat- ham indicated for the emergenc No? Well at any rate we cynics may count on entertainment of the richest from the land of Han for some time to come. 5 Miscellaneous.—The French reply to the Berlin note of July 20, concerning the proposed Anglo-French-Belgian German security pact has gone to Berlin. Having the approval of the British, Ttalian and Belgian govern ments, it is in effect a joint allied note. The fourteenth Zionist world con- gress opened at Vienna on August 18, some 8,000 delegates attending. The previous day there were violent anti- Jewish demonstrations in the cit: apparently by university student sulting in injuries, some serious, to 50 or more persons and suppressed only by the most vigorous efforts of Vi enna’s entire police force. The great est concession yet granted by the Rus- slan Soviet government, a concession to exploit the Lena goldfields of beria, has been granted to the British Lena’ Goldfields Corporation. American capitalists are pating up to 50 per cen Amundsen’s ship, the “Maude,” has got clear of the ice pack and was recently off the Last Cape, Siberia, partici- troops, but the latter refrain from at- plying for Nome. Optimistic JOLDEN era of unprecedented business prosperity throughout the United States is confidently predicted in a thorough can- vass of American newspaper executives just completed and pub- lished by the Editor and Publisher. Under the caption “Greatest Au- tumn business in history forecast by advertising men,” the magazine sub- mits without editorial comment mes- sages from 35 newspaper executives, ( representing as many leading cities in the United States and Canada, all looking forward to and preparing for a mighty boom everywhere this Fall. From the North, East, South or West the - optimistic chorus is the same. Georgla reports the best crops in 25 vears; Tennessee and Louisiana the greatest building program in their history; Kansas City, sharp ad- vances in the prices of live stock and grain; New York City, general retail prosperity; Philadelphiz, phenomenal industrial activity; Florida, a veritable flood of gold, and St. Paul, general in- creased purchasing power throughout the Northwest. Steel Industry Recovering. In this tuneful chorus of onrush- ing prosperity there is but a single discordant note—the steel industry— and that is improving rapidly. Pitts- burgh alone of all the citles indi- cated a slight depression, but it was pointed out that the steel industry al- ways suffers in the Summer and Kay Barr of the Pittsburg Press declared business has already started to re r from that seasonal slump. Summarizing the reports of newspaper officials, Publisher cites these reasons for the assurance of increased prosperity: od crops with prospect of good prices, farms everywhere now free of debt, record-breaking bank clearings, tremendous activity in all lines of building activity, revival of mining in inactive centers, virtually no un- employment, general confidence of re- tail merchants and unusually early beginning of Fall national advertis- ing schedules. Some Highly Enthused. Some of the messages of the Editor and Publisher were highly enthusi- astic. “Increase over last vear of 16 per cent in clearing of checks for the twelfth Federal reserve district through the Kansas City Federal Re- <erve Bank is the most definite indl- cation of general business through- out this territory,” A. F. the Kansas City Star reported. H. Doorly of the Omaha World-Herald says a “conservative survey” shows Fall business in Omaha this year will “far exceed that of 1924 in all lines.” Prospects for “a huge corn crop and a feeling of optimism among farmers are already showing bene. ficial effects on bustness conditions in Towa, according to the Des Moines Capital, while Peorfa, I, reports not having smashed its building rec- ord during the month of July but de- clares all industries are increasing the the Editor and| Seested of | Reports. Although using conservative lan- guage, the Milwaukee Journal assures good business for its district. But the Cleveland Press asserts bank clear ings in Cleveland for the first seven months of this year show an increas: of more than $700,000,000 over the same period of 1924. Detroit repor sharp falling off in the number unemployed and Aberdeen, S. Dak mentioning fair wheat crops, an nounces retail trade has already in creased over last year. St. Paul says: “High prices for grain indicate increased purchasing power in the Northwest,” and adds, corn crop is the biggest in hi while “other crops are normal New York Times thinks “it is evident retafl business is enjoying zeneral prosperity,” and Boston dec ditions in the textile trade while agriculture is above Philadelphia, one of the ) manufacturing centers, orders are coming in most of them for immediate Bank Clearings Heavy. Buffalo, Wilmington, Del.: Pater son, N. J.; Birmingham, Ala.; Miami v Orleans are equally op- . reported that its bank clearings for July were $52 n at the declares vest prosperity has been gre proved” and “the cotton outlook is now excellent Nashville, Tenn. broke all records in the matter of building permits and real estate trans fers this year. “Prosperity for Kentucky is ind cated by the crop and business condi tions,” says the Louisvillp Herald Post. Little Rock predicts “a bumper cotton crop. estimated to be 238,00¢ bales larger than ever before” for Arkansas. From distant Portland Ore., the Portland Oregonian reports the utmost optimism, while Spokane, Wash., is in the midst of harvesting one of the three richest and most profitable crops in the history of the ~ State of Washington. Tacoma, Wash reports that its industrial establis ments have almost doubled in number since 1924, Prosperity “Cutting New Tooth.” From Denver, Col “prosperity i the Roc! | marked revival of new oil wells and Worth, Tex.. says trade conditions are “exceptionally good” with prospects for a “splendid” cotton crop. Although San Antonio says its section has been through the worst ht in many ars, farmers there had previousl enfjoyed unusual nd the loss of crops has had little effect on business Montreal declares that “the P; of Quebec field crops for ] show an ‘increase of $50.000.000 over 1924” and the minister of agriculture is credited with predicting the value of the crop in that province will reach a total of $200,000, The Winn Free Press predicts that Western normal ition’s big dvance v, and clivery comes word that tooth in with State: mining, discover: pod crops. I in in forces in preparation for exceptional Fall business. ada will harvest better than an aver age crop “over its > vast area.’ TROPICAL AMERICAN FORESTS SEEN AS FUTURE U. S. SUPPLY Research Begun to Develop Industry, Which May Result in Great Economic Advantages for This BY HENRY L. SWEINHART. What is believed to be the first step looking toward a wide study of forest conditions throughout Latin America, with a view to securing future sources of hardwood supplies for the United States market, has just been taken by the Tropical Plant Research Foundation, an organization with headquarters here, formed under the auspices of the National Research Council and co-operating with the United States Department of Agri- culture and other Government depart- ments and bureaus. The first project upon which the foundation is about to start will be in Cuba, and will be conducted for the purpose of aiding several large com- panies—the United Fruit Co. and thé ba Co—in maintaining on their forest reserves a steady supply of timber to take care of their present and future needs. This is in line with the forest conservation ideas which it is the alm of the organization to foster. Dr. H. N. Whitford, an experienced forester, who has been in charge of the rubber investigations which the United States Department of Com- merce_has been conducting in the East_Indies, in the Philippines, in Brazil, Peru, Central America and other sections of the world where, it was belleved rubber might grow, will be in charge of the Cuban forestry project, at least temporarily. Large Timber Supplies It is not expected that Cuba, whose principal industry is sugar and whose forest area is comparatively small, will ever be able to supply much hard- wood or other lumber to the United States; but it is belleved that the lessons learned there will be valuable and that the start made there will lead to much wider work in some of the other Latin American countries. In discussing the subject, Maj. George P. Ahern, former chief of the Philip- pine Bureau of Forestry, organized by the Government of the United States in 1900; and who is in general super- vision of the forest work of the Trop- ical Plant Research Foundation, said: ““As the forests of the United States rapidly disappear, as inadequate efforts are made to close the gap between consumption and adequate annual growth, a long period of scarcity in our local wood supply becomes in- evitable and not far distant. That long period of years of scarcity is tropical America’s opportunity to sup- ply the demand from its billion and a quarter forested acres, where rapid growth is the rule almost twelve months in the year, and on soll more fertile than the average in the colder regions of the North. “Men of vision will grasp these opportunities,” Maj. Ahern continued. ast areas of tropical virgin forest will be obtained for a small outlay. Large modern operations will follow. Scientific research will bring out uses and values of scores of forest products now deemed unmarketable. Subsidiary plants will utilize by-products and waste products. Then will follow marketing campalgns, control over ocean and other transportation, and so forth. Use To Be Found “Of the 1,500 present uses of wood, surely some should be found for the woods of tropical America that occur everywhere in quantity but are not being taken. The future development of the countries to the south of us depends on the intelligent utilization of their natural resources, one of the most important of which is the forest. The Tropical Plant Research Founda- tion is doing this work.” The vpiuivn of anvther forest cx Country. pert, Henry S. Graves, dean of the school of forestry, Yale University, |and former chief of the United States forest service, is equally significant as to the possibilities of forest de- velopment in the South and Central American countries. ““It is now coming to be recognized,” sald Mr. Graves, “by thoughtful stu- dents of the subject that the United States and other countries in the tem- perate zones will increasingly require timber and other products from the tropical forests. Scientific men at all familiar with the tropical forests are convinced that there are many species of trees well adapted to our existing needs but which are today unknown in our markets. The better grades of certain of our native hardwoods are beginning to be difficult to obtain Already we know that tropical woods can be found that have qualities simi- lar to the best of our hardwoods."” Research Developing Market. Col. Graves .went on to point out that research in wood technology is a primary step in developing a market in this country for tropical products. Other means must be adopted to accomplish the object. He asserted that “the tropical countries have before them a land problem of great magnitude and {mportance,” and that they have the “task not only to secure an industrial development of their forest resources, but to bring that about in a way that will not re- sult merely in exploitation of the forests, but in the productive use of the land on a permanent basis.” “This means,” he said, ‘“‘agricul- tural settlement on the favorable lands and a continued use of the less fertile lands for forest growth. The United States has made many serious mistakes in its public land adminis- tration. The experience of our coun- try would be of value to the countries of tropical America as illustrating the consequences that follow unwise poli- cies of land administration.” In con- clusion, he said: “With full information about the forests and their products, and with men qualified to carry on forest work in the tropics, we have the ground- work for attracting capital to estab- lish industrial enterprise in the tropics and for developing markets for a wide use of forest products.” (Copyright. 1925, by Henry L. Sweinhart.) BY HARDEN COLFAX. American exporters who were some- what disturbed not long ago by the passage of a German tariff bill with have waked up to the fact that Ger- many can't grant lower rates to any other country in the world than to the United States. the new German tariff is shorn of its horns and tall and the idea is spread- ing that, perhaps, after all, the new duties will do much to increase our growing export business to Germany. Under the present treaty between the United States and Germany, the former will automatically receive any favors granted by Germany, in a commerelal way, to other nations. Thus, if Germany were to embody in her pending treaty with France a rate on foodstuffs much lower than the rates applying to any other coun- try shipping foodstuffs into Germany, the new rate would automatically and immediately apply to American food- stuffs. Thus, there is no possibility, as Government experts here see the sit- uation, that any foreign manufac- turers will get the edge on American concerns when it comes to dutles to be paid on products entering Germany. The same situation applies to food- stuffs. American farmers, it is point- ed out, are in no danger of being undercut by a tariff reduction fo some other nation on anything shipped into Germany. Feared Loss of Exports. ‘While knowledge of this situation is not new in Washington, Govern- ment officlals having had it in mind ever since the new German tariff en- tered the pathway of legislation, it was overlooked by many exporters. ‘These had feared the high tariff rates with the “most favored nation” clause carfying reciprocal adjustments down- ward, would tend to shrivel the vol* ume of exports flowing now in increas- ing flood to German ports. Such a contingency would have been a body blow at the expansion of American forelgn trade and proba- bly would be felt in our domestic prosperity. A study of foreign trade in 1924, made by the Department of Comumerce, shows Germany in third place as a consumer of American leader in the field, who became a Bri- tish general during the war and then prime minister of the Union of South Africa, predicted that Europe was drifting nearer and nearer to a new ice age when addressing the South African Association for the Advance- ment of Science at Oudtsheorn. He placed @he advent of the new Furopean ice age at a date approxi- mately 10,000 vears hence, though long before that the European climate would have altered beyond recogni- tion by people living in our time. The African climate, he said, will also be- come gradually cooler, moist and rainy, with the consequence that the stretches of present wilderness will pass away. In all probability our present human races will have dis- appeared before this next phase and given place to a higher specles of mankind, which will occupy the mext age. Enlarging on the fact that South Africa was 10,000 years behind the times as measured hy Buropean or American standards of culture, the Europe Faces Ice Age in 10,000 Years; New Race Coming, Gen. Smuts Predicts Gen. Jan Smuts, the former Boer | soldier-statesman peinted out that its Bushmen were nothing but “living fossils, remains of a race which dis- appeared from Europe thousands of\ years ago.” Alluding to the skull of the ape- man recently discovered at Taungs, he said it showed the tremendous pos- sibilities of South Africa as a fleld of research into the past of the human race. In botany, too, there were in South Africa true “living fossils” like the cycads. Certain biological prob- lems could, therefore, be studied to better advantage in South Africa than in either Europe or America, and re- cent finds suggested, at any rate, the possibility that Africa would yet fig- ure as one of the cradles of mankind. Border Rules Accepted. Regulations to enforce the United States-Canadian treaty for supression| of smuggling, were agreed upon to- day by representatives of the two gov- graments. They will be announced ater. flexible provisions to favored nations | With_this discovery, ! GERMAN TARIFF BUGABOO IN U. S. HAS BEEN SHORN OF ITS TERRORS w Duties May Do Much to Increase American Ex- port Business—Rates to Other Nations Can’t Be Lower Than to Us. tions except Great Britain and Canada. The growth of trade with Germany | has been slow since the war, how- ever. Says the department: “Germany is the only country of | importance which furnished us with less imports in terms of dollar value in 1924 than before the war. Ger- many also is the country which showed the lowest rate of increase over pre-war in our exports (44.9 per cent), the actual quantities of goo going to Germany no doubt having fallen off.” American exports to Germany in 1923, the department’s survey shows, were slightly in excess of $300,000,000 which imports ran to about $1 000. In 1924, however, Germa: to almost $450,000,000, or by approxi- mately 50 per cent, and imports from Germany declined to about $150,000, 000. The current year, it is expected will show a healthy increase in both exports and imports. ‘What New Measure Provides. The new German tariff legislation replaces a law passed in 1902. The new measure provides stiff rates in the case of many commodities which go to make up the bulk of Ameri- can trade with Germany, among them belng automobiles, on which the new tax virtually adds 100 per cent to the selling price. Reductions in automobile duties, graded over three vears, are provided. On foodstuffs, too, heavy customs spe imposed. On a barrel of wheat our, for instance, the dutv would run to about $2.10. On a bushel of rye, it amounts to about 20 cents, with approximately the same duty on oats and barley. On canned meat, the duty runs to about 5 cents a pound, and on bacon about 3 cents. The new food tariff will become effective September 1; on manufactured goods the new tariff will go into effect a month later. (Coyright. 1925.) Wilhelmina Listed As “Modest Dresser” Queen Wilhelmina is strongly op- posed to extravagant modern fashions for women and, like the Pope in the Vatican, she does not tolerate frivo- lous attire in her palace. The ladies of the diplomatic corps graclously con- form to this royal wish and scrupu- lously avold exaggeration in dressing. The simplicity of Queen Wilhelmina does not, however, mean that she has a dislike of all modern fashions. She submits quite willingly to some of fashion’s decrees, but she has a strong antipathy to low neck, sleeveless and too-abbreviated frocks. She sets a splendid example of the simply but stylishly dressed lady, and her ideas about woman's apparel have been ac- cepted by Dutch society. Little Tobacco Group Grows Into Big Firm In 1919 in the small village of Stani- maka, Bulgaria, a schoolmaster and 33 peasants founded a co-operative tobacco company. The capital was only a few hundred dollars and the production at first sufficient only to satisfy the needs of the local popula- tion. Today this co-operative employs 1,200 workmen, and 3,000 peasant families cultivate for it tobacco which is manipulated, made into cigarettes and exported. ‘Two-thirds of the profits remain in the hands of the co-operators and one- Jthird, is hel In reser products, ranking above all other na- | (Continued from First Page.) German and the Magyar are now suf- fering is at most only a small measure of medicine they have administered to the Pole, the Czech and the Rumanian for centuries. It is clear, too, that no state can tol- erate within its frontiers any minor- ity, large or small, which refuses to permit itself to be absorbed into the national life and continues to pre- serve its racial and linguistic unity within an adjoining race to which it looks steadily for ultimate liberation. We in the United States went all through this phase during the war when we discovered to our horror that we had German and other citizens who retained a degree of sympathy with their native country, which seemed to us to prevent real national unity. ‘How much more grave is the problem for the.Pole or Czech, whose German minorities look over more or less imaginary frontier barriers to sixty millions of their race brethren for aid and ultimate absorption! Absorption Impossible. the Germans of Poland and ovakia and the Magyars of Rumania were willing to accept Slav or Latin rule loyally, to consent to absorption by the majority, the expul- ion policy would be at once indefen- ible in humanity and stupid in prac- tice, but this is not the case and it is wholly unlikely that the Teuton and Magyar, believing themselves mem- bers of a superior race, could ever be brought to this capitulation. Indeed, it is just as unreasonable to expect these ‘minorities to consent to dena- tionalize themselves as to expect the majorities to tolerate their continued and ever dangerous presence. If Hungary would consent to accept her territorial losses to Rumania and Czechoslovakia as permanent, the sit- uation of the Magyvar minorities in these states would be totally changed and the justification for harsh meth- ods as well as the temptation to use them would disappear, but Hungary will not do this. If Germany would make a similar renunciation in the matter of cessions to Poland and aban- don any pretension to protect German minorities in Czechoslovakia, the same would be true. But Germany will do nothing of the sort. Moreover, to ex- pect this would be to expect something not only superhuman, but quite be- vond any American capacity. If, for example, the hundreds of thousands of French Canadians set- tled in New England sought to pre- serve their individuality and to serve as a basis for ultimate annexation of a vast French Candda, assuming that it existed, one can see quite promptly what the American attitude would be. The only difference between our atti- tude and that of Poland or Czechoslo- vakia or Rumania is that we insist that the people who come to our shores shall become American while they insist that the minorities which have long been established in their present territories, where they have represented an alien oppressor, shall either do this same thing or get out and, since they decline to submit, en- force expulsion. Swiss Position Secure. In Switzerland, there are, to be sure, three races represented, and one, the German, {s in a great majority. But the adjustment between the races is complete, the French character of five cantons is accepted as is the Teu- tonic nature of nineteen and the Ital- ian of one. What is decisive, however, is the fact that neither Germany, France nor Italy cherishes any design to claim its race brethren and the race brethren themselves manifest not the smallest desire to be claimed. Quite the contrary, they accept the Swiss soverelgnty with all the enthusiasm 1f Czechos and loyaity of a Frenchman for France, a German for Germany or an Italian for Italy. 1f one could Imagine that in the course of time the present emigra- tlons. even though enforced, would lead to the disappearance of minori- Expulsion of Germans From S lesia Defensible Policy on Poland’s Partl ties and the creation of racially sim lar populations within politi fron tiers, the galn for peace would be ob* vious. On the whole, Greece has prob. ably benefitted by the nciation of her Aslatic aspirations the gain of | the Hellenic population of Asia Minor. But the process is not capable of be ing carried to absolute results in manyv cases. evertheless it is inevitable, d it | seems certain to continue indefinitely It is, after all, a phase of majority rule and we recognize the will of t} majority to be absolute. It is a phs in the liberation of subjec which was the outstanding ci stance of the war results. It fre quently does violence to preconceived notions of economic efficiency, often the minority expelled is indus trially the most highly trained elemen in the community, it in 1bly offends a sense of humani becau: it im poses hardship and sufferin, Nor does it lie in Amer! to censure Poland. Czechoslovakia o Rumania since our sistence upon the 100 per cent Americanism of our fel low citizens is not ous. On the other hand our sympathy for the Americar minority Mexico, for example should go far to explain the feelings of the German and the Magyar, with |the added circumstance that their, brethrer. are being persecuted in a lan: {which was long German or Magy: {and whose loss they have never vol | untarily resigned themselves to a cept as permanent. (Copyright. 1025.) n mouths Berlin Is Puzzled . By Rival “Princes™ Berlin is bothered. How can one |tell the true from the false crowr prince of Kurdistan? For both are {here. One is in the hands of the po jlice. He wears a strange militar uniform. The epaulettes are those of a Turkish general, the stripes on the arms those of a major, the red horde: that of a captain. The arrested man is glib. He offers to produce a film “The Crown Prince of Kurdistan," ine which to show the world how the lords of Kurdistan trace their an cestry direct to Abraham. Rut thoug! he declares he was a Turkish genera in the World War, he cannot remem ber the name of any German officer The other crown prince is germuine- perhaps. The two met recently and the second questioned the first, whe had only vague notions as to the geography, langugge and customs his country. It is possible the chari table Berlin authorities will lock hin/ up until his memory improves. Portrait of Charles 1 May Be by Van Dyck Some time ago a citizen of Oslo. Norway, purchased an old and rathe:- large painting representing a chev: lier with lace cravat, a tuft beard on his chin and waved halr. Examina: tion by experts has established thai. the painting represents King Charle: 1. of England when about 35 vear: old. In order to determine whether: the portrait was a copy photographs.. of it have been forwarded to afl gal leries known to possess orizinal por traits of Charles L—Windsor castle. Hampton Court, the Louvre, Antwer. Brussels and the Muse Nacional doi Prado in Madrid. Replies from those places are to the effect that the Osld portrait was not copied from 3 known portrait of King Charle: suggestion has been put forward that the painting is a Van Dyck. An thonls Van Dyck was court painter to King Charles in 1652. During the. nine years from 1652 to 1661 he painted no fewer than 17 portraits of . the King and the royal family.