Show rubber and tin in malay states c are rich prize vital area controlled by british supplies important products for U S industries colorful singapore britaina Brit ains largest foreign naval base is well known as the source of important world news less is known however of the vast malay peninsula at whose tip Singa pores wharves load hundreds of ships with large supplies of rubber tin and other riches of malay the netherlands indies and thailand because this section of the globe is now more than of vital interest in the news of thedac the article below was prepared exclusive to western newspaper union and copyrighted e d ty by national geographic society washington D C on land which 50 years ago was a dense tiger infested jungle plantation owners in the british protected malay states of southeastern asia are producing more than a third of the worlds rubber supply much of the output is sent to the united states for this country is not able to grow the rubber which its factories turn into tires hose mats balloons and a thousand and one other articles why does rubber nourish flourish in the malay peninsula geography gives us the answer rubber trees need plenty of rain and hot weather the malay states are just north of the equator and their climate is one of the hottest and dampest dam pest in the world similar climate makes rubber production profitable also in the nearby near by netherlands indies supply from brazil the first rubber plants were brought to the malay states from brazil about 60 years ago and it soon became evident that they would grow well there now the malay region far surpasses brazil in rubber output partly because its plantations are readily accessible to railroads and seaports while brazils rubber trees are far inland in wild country it was no easy job to clear mile after mile of underbrush and 60 foot trees from the malay jungles so that plantations could be developed snakes and wild animals tigers elephants ep hants buffaloes and rhinoceroses rhinoceros es were a constant menace and aboriginal savages threw poisonous darts at the workers large jungle areas however never have been cleared some parts have not even been explored long before plantations were laid out to grow rubber pineapples and other tropical farm products the malay peninsula was an important source of tin from its mines still comes about a third of the worlds tin supply some of the tin cans in your kitchen cupboard were made from this malayan ore for the united states mines virtually virtually no tin tin from mountains the tin ore is found in the heavily wooded mountain ranges which rise like a backbone along the malay T tina LEAD kota alo star george town TU ST N r a kuala LAYO POFF weld TIN 0 0 kuantsan IR N E S swettenham ap port dickson 0 D MALAY STATES rice STATUTE MILES 0 rubber flu Cocon Pineapple so hardwoods 0 prepared by the national geographic ay the above map explains in detail the source of the important products obtained stained on the malay peninsula most important of these supplies as indicated are rubber tin pineapples and other tropical farm products japan apan already entrenched in french indochina indo china reportedly could use u many any of the products now going to the united states and great britain peninsula the ore is dredged from tremendous open pits along with tin miners dig for smaller amounts of gold iron manganese lead and tungsten the latter is vital for making the filament used in electric light bulbs the laborers who first mined the tin and who did much of the work of clearing the jungles were not the native malays balays but chinese the latter came to the region in large numbers and now make up about two fifths of the malay states population of some the malays balays short brown skinned and thickset thick set with straight black hair are a clever people but like many residents of hot countries they are not overly industrious one reason is that food clothing and shelter are not hard to obtain many of the malays balays wear only a jacket and a skir flike sarong live in clusters of bamboo or thatched huts built on piles and eat little besides rice and fish british development development of the malay states has been in the hands of the british ever since sir stamford raffles an englishman who envisioned a great future for the region founded the port of singapore in 1819 its site on an island at the southern tip of the peninsula was then part of the jungle but now singapore has grown into a colorful cosmopolitan city one of the worlds leading ports its importance as a shipping center is derived from its situation ships traveling between the pacific and the indian oceans pass it singa pores wharves handle not only malay rubber and tin the latter is smelted smelter in the city but the riches of the netherlands indies and thailand the british have fortified the port as their largest foreign naval base |