Word: rubbers
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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...fight over synthetic rubber was finished (TIME, Feb. 8). The issue-how many synthetic rubber plants Czar William Jeffers could build without using materials needed by the Army & Navy-was ancient history. The decision was already on the books: Economic Czar James F. Byrnes, as referee, had decided to let Jeffers build plants for 452,000 tons, 43.6% of the amount called for by the Baruch report...
Fact 1. Synthetic-rubber plants, and the refineries which make high-octane gasoline for the Army's airplanes, both use heat and pressure processes which require boilers, hundreds of valves, condensers, pumps, gauges, instruments. Thus they conflict with each other-and with the Navy's escort vessel program, which requires much the same type of "component part...
Fact 2. The Army's gasoline program has been expanded and re-expanded as aircraft production increased. The Navy's escort vessel schedules, off to a slow start and interrupted by shifts in strategy, have been stepped up to cope with the U-boat. The Baruch rubber report, with its recommendation for 1,037,000 tons of capacity, was drawn up before anybody knew how many component parts would be needed elsewhere...
Fact 4. One of the three conflicting programs must suffer: rubber, escort vessels, or high-octane gas. Jimmy Byrnes has decided-wisely, but after a long delay -that the last 585,000 tons of capacity in the Baruch rubber recommendations can best be spared...
...Secretary of War, he does his job as he sees it, without fear of bruises or cuts. The Navy's Forrestal is as calm, soft-spoken and neat as any other onetime investment banker-but he also knows how to fight for what he thinks is right. And rubber's Jeffers, a tough customer who came up from section hand to railroad president, will take his coat off at the slightest provocation...