| Show Amazon Jungle Rubber Hunters Do Tough Job Job By JOHN JOliN LEAR WASHINGTON J June u n e 26 Wide World A A new war warfront warfront warfront front where the men must advance ad ad- advance I vance entirely on th their ir own as individual units has been I opened right here in the western west west- x ern era hemisphere Like ike commandos or parachute troops the men whose job is to find rubber in the Amazon jungle jungle jun jun- gle of Brazil and bring it out for the United States fighting machine must rely on them them- selves First they must cut their way from Amazon tributaries up which they are brought on small boats through the tangled tropical undergrowth to the hevea tree whence comes the white milk which is rubber For this they carry machetes heavy like cleaver-like knives a 8 yard long Their circuits through the forest take many days sometimes sometimes some some- times weeks and they must provide provide pro pro- vide themselves with food For this they c carry rry shotguns Knives and fish hoo hooks s. s Carry Knives After they find the rubber trees they must tap the bark barkand barkand barkand and catch and prepare the liquid rubber in sheets For Fox this they carry more knives spouts to carry the rubber from the bark after the flow begins cups to catch the rubber as it drops from the spouts cloth on which to spread the liquid wringers to flatten the sheets into uniform strength and thickness and files to sharpen all the other tools Always the rubber tappers wor work and live in the midst of mosquitoes which spread malana ma ma- laria lana Against these th the tappers tappers tappers tap tap- pers carry medical tablets Dr Earl N. N Bressman director director director tor of the agricultural division of the office of inter-American inter affairs recently told a United States senate committee that a a. preliminary equipment order from Brazil included tapping tapping tap tap- ping cups machetes files shotguns shotgun shells and tablets Getting the equipment is no simple matter Concentration of United States industry on war production has reduced manufacturing capacity for other work Metals largely have been diverted to war use Plastic Cup Sought Rubber is so vital to war however that equipment for the rubber tappers is expected to rate for preference As one way around the metal shortage an effort is being made to produce produce pro pro- duce a satisfactory s1 tapping cup from plastics Some rubber tappers are estimated to be at work now in the Amazon basin Officials Officials Off i dais hope to see another equipped during 1942 The United States is trying to help Brazil and other rubber rubber rub rub- ber producing countries to make much of the missing equipment thus relieving the demand on an already overworked N Nor North o r t h American industry This country country country coun coun- try has agreed to spend for rubber development in Brazil and in Peru with other amounts likely for other cooperating republics Aside from direct aid additional additional addi addi- millions are to go into health and sanitation projects to protect rubber workers Large scale production of rubber rub rub- rubber ber would bring to the Americas one of the tine greatest economic developments de developments de de- in history N New ew Toads roads ads would op oper q up now inaccessible areas for settlement settlement settlement settle settle- ment boats and barges would swell trade on the rivers and populate now isolated regions of great natural wealth air fields would appear in jungle clearIngs clearings clear clear- ings unhealthy festers would be cleaned out farming would evolve along modern lines to feed the new industry and a land office boom would take pla place e in food tapping implements buildIng building build build- ing big materials medicines and scores scores s of f other living needs Area Untouched The Amazon basin offers territory territory ter ter- ter of heroic size for growth Its square miles constitute constitute con con- perhaps the worlds world's largest largest larg larg- est area of untouched riches Some rubber men estimate the Amazon basin could yield as much as tons of rubber a year year almost almost enough to cover the record breaking consumption consumption consumption tion of rubber in the United States in 1941 But to get that much out of the jungles would involve migration of tens of thousands of workers First the tappers must be found In iri sufficient numbers Not anyone will do the e tropics are are cruel to tenderfeet The men must be equipped Then they must be transported to the Job which means boats and barges in large numbers for the main avenue Into the Amazon wilderness wilderness wilder wilder- ness is the great river itself After that its it's each man for himself a perilous job with more death and suffering than drama or public recognition |
