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Show WAR CRISIS PERILS RUBBER SHIPMENTS - - ing the Indian ocean. On reaching Africa these rubber and other Far Eastern supplies could connect with the present U. S.-to-Egypt supply line which Is already al-ready patrolled. For this plan to work it would probably be necessary for the U. S. Pacific fleet to be based at Singapore, Singa-pore, in which position it could keep the Japanese navy at home. One look at a map of the Far East will convince even the most optimistic that the U. S. navy has a big job in convoying supplies from the Far East to the United States. The large number of Jap bases sprinkled between the Philippines and Hawaii, and the fact that Guam, Wake and Midway Islands are indefensible, makes it necessary neces-sary for ships to travel 2,651 miles further by way 'of a Southern Pacific Pa-cific route. Even this southern route is not safe from Japanese attacks; in fact, many military observers believe be-lieve that this route is so long and so vulnerable that ship losses would be so great in hauls from the Far East to the United States as to be impractical. Yet, the United States is dependent depen-dent on the Far East for most of the vitally needed imports which are not produced in the United States. The United States is dependent de-pendent on this part of the world for rubber, tin, quinine, vegetable oils, hemp, manganese, bauxite, chrome, and other materials. Only fools declare the United States to be self-sufficient. Perhaps it will be possible for ships loaded with the much needed rubber from Malaya and the Dutch East Indies to reach the United States by way of the Indian ocean instead of the Pacific. It is unlikely un-likely that heavy Jap ships could operate in this area, and thus U. S. destroyers would serve as adequate ade-quate protection to convoys cross- |