File No. 611.46c9/1
The Acting Secretary of
Commerce
(William J.
Harris) to the Secretary of State
Department of Commerce,
Washington,
October 30, 1914.
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,
[Enclosure]
The factory manager of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
(P. W. Leitchfield) to the
Secretary of Commerce (Redfield)
Akron, Ohio,
October 27, 1914.
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