Vanishing Point

The U.S. rubber situation is getting really grim.

Columnist Raymond Clapper reported last week that the U.S.

Army is about to replace rubber treads on its tanks with steel—though the changeover would entail a 10% loss in tank speed. Chief reasons for the Army’s new spirit of self-denial:

> The loss of the Dutch East Indies and the threat to Ceylon have forced the U.S. to cross more than 100,000 tons off its list of hoped-for raw rubber.

> Russia needs enormous new rubber supplies, and the U.S. stockpile (500,000 tons) is the only substantial hoard upon which the United Nations can draw.

> The synthetic program is still highly experimental, is not even far enough along to attack the production bugs which are sure to delay it.