File No. 611.46c9/1

The Acting Secretary of Commerce (William J. Harris) to the Secretary of State

Sir: I enclose herewith a letter dated the 27th instant from Mr. P. W. Litchfield, factory manager, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio, regarding an embargo placed on crude rubber coming from Far East ports by the British Government, and recommend that anything possible be done to relieve the situation.

Respectfully,

William J. Harris

[Enclosure]

The factory manager of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company (P. W. Leitchfield) to the Secretary of Commerce (Redfield)

Dear Sir: We note that the British Government has placed an embargo on crude rubber coming from the Far East ports, notably Ceylon and Singapore, to any American port, specifying that it can only be shipped through British ports. We have rubber coming from this location at the rate of about $1,000,000 per month, and have contracts for delivery of this rubber for prompt shipment up until next July.

We wish you would use all means in your power to have this embargo lifted, as we cannot see any sense to it at all, as crude rubber is not contraband.

This seems to be an attempt on the part of the British Government to prevent the export of rubber to Germany. All the rubber which we buy is used in our factories here at Akron, Ohio, and at Bowmanville, Ontario.

We will be subjected to serious loss if this embargo is allowed to stand.

Yours very truly,

The Good Year Tire and Rubber Company
By P. W. Litchfieid , Factory Manager