He Meant the End of 1943

On a Congressional griddle last week, Jesse Jones had to confess that his vast $400,000,000 synthetic-rubber program, which was to yield the U.S. 400,000 tons of rubber by mid-1943, would not be ready before the end of that year. He could show signed contracts for less than 200,000 tons.

The quiz established one piece of good news, however. Patents on synthetic-rubber processes are no longer holding up the show. Thanks largely to nudges from the Department of Justice, on Dec. 19 all U.S. owners pooled their patents in Rubber Reserve Co.-including Standard Oil Co. (N.J.), whose Buna tire-rubber patents (obtained...

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