Apr., 1918
T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERING C H E M I S T R Y
Foreign and Domestic Commerce. The official documents are six in number: Letter sent to all persons likely to hold platinum; Order placing platinum under the Defense of the Realm Act; Copy of the Regulation; Requisition Notice; Form of Permit authorizing dealers and dental manufacturers to dispose of their stocks which were fully manufactured prior to the date of the order. From the letter referred to, i t appears that the use of platinum for jewelry and other non-essential purposes has been absolutely prohibited. Dental manufacturers were rationed but were allowed to reconvert their old stocks which contained large quantities of platinum so that they could make them into new stock containing less platinum. The Controller of Non-Ferrous Materials Supply became the only purchaser of platinum outside the country and the only seller of platinum mside the country. No platinum can be sold without a permit from the Department and no permits are granted unless the platinum is required for an approved purpose. Persons authorized to buy scrap platinum must sell it to one of four designated firms, who in turn have to sell all that they have obtained to the Government. So successful has this method of collecting scrap been that more than 75 per cent of the platinum sold by the Department per month is covered by scrap purchased for more than two years. At present the amount purchased represents only 50 per cent of the sales, which it should be understood do not include the very large quantities of platinum supplied for certain war purposes. It may be added that the fixed price in England for platinum was increased in December 1916from z I O shillings to 290 shillings per ounce and that in February 1918 the price for scrap was further incxeased to s18 and for new platinum to Szo per ounce. WASHINGTON, D. C. W. F. HILLEBRAND
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meet with favorable consideration by yourself, and, second, that it should have been the means of bringing from you a communication which I sincerely trust will be followed by many others. We are much interested in progress of all kinds in Argentina, and will be delighted to be kept in touch particularly with its progress in chemistry. I trust, therefore, that you will from time to time honor us with further communications. With cordial greetings .from this Society to yourself and the great Society over which you preside, I have the honor to remain, Yours very truly, (Signed) WILLIAMH. NICHOLS President N E W YORKCITY February 26, 1918
LICENSING OF FERTILIZER INDUSTRY ORDERED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION
WHEREASunder and by virtue of an act of Congress entitled “An act to provide further for the national security and defense by encouraging the production, conserving the supply, and controlling the distribution of food products and fuel,” approved by the President on the 10th day of August 1 9 1 7 , it is provided, among other things, as follows: That by reason of the existence of a state of war it is essential to the national security and defense, for the successful prosecution of the war, and for the support and maintenance of the Army and Navy, to assure an adequate supply and equitable distribution, and to facilitate the movement of foods, feeds, fuel, including fuel oil and natural gas, and fertilizer and fertilizer ingredients, tools, utensils, implements, machinery, and equipMarch 14, 1918 ment required for the actual production of foods, feeds, and fuel, hereafter in this act called necessaries; to prevent, locally or PLATINUM RESOLUTION BY THE ARGENTINE generally, scarcity, monopolization, hoarding, injurious speculaCHEMICAL SOCIETY‘ tion, manipulations, and private controls, affecting such supply, To the President of the American Chemical Society: distribution, and movement; and to establish and maintain I have the honor to address you as President of the Argentine governmental control of such necessaries during the war. For Chemical Society in view of the resolution of our Directors in such purposes the instrumentalities, means, methods, powers, one of its last meetings. authorities, duties, obligations, and prohibitions hereinafter The Argentine Chemical Society is advised as to the vote cast set forth are created, established, conferred, and prescribed. The by the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETYrecommending to all President is authorized to make such regulations and to issue such persons in the United States a restriction in the use of platinum orders as are essential effectively to carry out the provisions of in view of the high price it has reached, and the recommendation this act. that all this metal be employed for the scientific and technical ANDWHEREAS it is further provided in said act as follows: uses for which it must be employed. That from time to time, whenever the President shall find it The Board of Directors of the Argentine Chemical Society, over which I have the honor to preside, deems that this proposi- essential to license the importation, manufacture, storage, SOCIETY is exfremely favorable mining, or distribution of any necessaries, in order to carry into tion of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL and essential to science, and in this view has voted to make com- effect any of the purposes of this act, and shall publicly so anmon cause with it in the hope that it will be considered by all nounce, no person shall, after a date fixed in the announcement, engage in or carry on any such business specified in the announcethe countries which it will benefit. ment of importation, manufacture, storage, mining, or distribu1 greet you with the greatest consideration, and remain tion of any necessaries as set forth in such announcement, unless (Signed) G. F. SCHAEFER he shall secure and hold a license issued pursuant to this section. President SOCIEDAD QUIMICAARGENTINA The President is authorized to issue such licenses and to prescribe CALLELAVALLE1790 [Signature illegible] regulations for the issuance of licenses and requirements for sysBUENOSWIRES, January 15. 1918 Secretary tems of accounts and auditing of accounts to be kept by licensees, submission of reports by them, with or without oath or affirmaSEROR G. F. SCHAEFER, Presidente, tion, and the entry and inspection by the President’s duly authorSociedad Quimica Argentina, ized agents of the places of business of licensees. Calle 1,avalle 1790, AND WHEREASit is essential, in order to carry into effect the Buenos Aires, Argentina, S.A. purposes of said act and in order to secure an adequate supply DEARSm: I was much gratified to receive your esteemed favor of January and equitable distribution and to facilitate the movement of certain necessaries hereafter in this proclamation specified, that 15th in which you announce that the Sociedad Quimica Argentina has taken action similar to that taken by the AMERICAN CHEM- the license powers conferred upon the President by said act be ICAL SOCIETY on the subject of the use of platinum. This gives a t this time exercised to the extent hereinafter set forth. ATOW,therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United me double pleasure; first, that the action of our Society should States of America, by virtue of the powers conferred on me by 1 The first letter is a translation.
