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Apparently Senhor Vargas was quietly hedging, too. Simultaneously United Press at Belem reported the Japanese steamer Buenos Aires was loading Brazilian rubber for Germany via the Trans-Siberian, while a cargo of German chemical products, optical materials and films was en route to Brazil from Vladivostok.
*According to legend the odd behavior of rubber seeds led aboriginal Indians to the discovery of rubber. When ripe the seed-capsules explode violently "with a noise lik.e a rattle of musketry," shoot seeds 60 to 100 feet. Once they stopped running from this barrage, inquisitive Indians returned, saw latex dripping down trunks.