CHEMICAL & ENGINEERING
NEWS VOLUME 39, NUMBER 12
^(3 Chemical World This Week
MARCH 20,
1961
CBR Defense May Get More Emphasis OCDM also plans to start mass production of civilian face mask and to increase stockpiling efforts Leveling charges of gross inadequacies in the past Administration's civil and defense mobilization program, Frank B. Ellis, new director of the Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization, swept through Senate confirmation of his nomination and proceeded immediately to sketch his own views on the subject. Mr. Ellis would like to see stock-
Vinyl Face Mask OCDM wants every civilian to get one
piling of hard-to-replace production equipment components for vital industries, such as chemicals, metals, and aerospace. This would be in addition to present stockpiles of strategic materials. And he wants to put greater emphasis on mobilizing the economy to cope with any eventuality —an extended cold war, limited "brush fire" outbreaks, or an all-out attack. Simultaneously, other OCDM offi-
cials say that the agency hopes to start negotiations with industry by July for mass production of a vinyl face mask for civilian protection in the event of chemical, biological, and radiological attack. Since OCDM hopes to provide every man, woman, and child in the country with such a mask, the order would represent a large piece of vinyl business. New Stress on CW-BW? Mr. Ellis's first order of business—the "thoroughgoing review of our nonmilitary defense and mobilization programs" ordered by President Kennedy—is now complete and in the hands of the Bureau of the Budget. In it, Mr. Ellis is believed to assail the Eisenhower Administration's philosophy on civil defense and mobilization. That philosophy, many civil defense experts say, was directed almost exclusively at survival under nuclear attack. OCDM, under Mr. Ellis, may put new emphasis, however, on readying the public for the possibility of chemical, biological, or radiological warfare. And it may make a closer scrutiny of the concept of shelter vs. evacuation. Earlier, at his confirmation hearings, Mr. Ellis was requested by the Senate Armed Forces Committee to draw up a report comparing the civil defense effort of the U.S. with that of the U.S.S.R., with particular emphasis on chemical and biological warfare (CWBW) . This report is incorporated into Mr. Ellis's more comprehensive study for the President. Sen. Stuart Symington (D.-Mo.) told the new OCDM director, "I am interested in the question of nuclear arms control and concerned about any agreement on a unilateral basis, such
as the situation existing in test cessation. It seems to me that if we enter into an agreement not to use atomic weapons, it might turn into an open end agreement and missiles might then be used to deliver biological or chemical warfare weapons . . . In classified hearings we found that the Russian people were being much more thoroughly trained for civil defense
OCDM Director Frank B. Ellis People must prepare for survival
than were the American people." Arouse the Public. Others, especially scientists both inside and outside the Government, have expressed deep concern over the apparent apathy and lack of understanding of the U.S. public with regard to CW-BW. The Special Committee on Civil Defense of the American Chemical Society's Board of Directors, for example, has labored hard for more public awareMARCH
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ness of the potential hazards of CW13W and for a more adequate civil defense program. These concerns now are beginning to be heard. But a thoroughgoing assessment of the potential threat of CBR warfare in relation to nuclear threats probably will not be possible unless interservice squabbling in the Pentagon comes to a halt, many experts believe. Most agree that a firm presidential position on civil defense, one similar to that of the chief executive's discussions of the economic situation, probably would do the most to alert the public and start the ball rolling toward an adequate program. OCDM plans to step up its public awareness campaign greatly. "It is the intention of this agency to bring home to the American people their spiritual obligation to prepare for survival and to aid in the survival of others," Mr. Ellis says. Mr. Ellis wants more emphasis on medical stockpiling. The agency hopes to increase its spending for medical equipment and supplies by $26 million in fiscal 1962, most of it for prepackaged hospital units, not drugs. On the industrial side, besides stockpiling production equipment components, OCDM plans to stress industrial readiness for the demands of possible new limited outbreaks. Paralleling this, experts feel, will be more emphasis on plant dispersal to frustrate an all-out attack. To implement his program, Mr. Ellis is expected to ask President Kennedy to double the $104 million OCDM budget requested for fiscal year 1962 by President Eisenhower. But chances are slim that Congress will be receptive to the original request, let alone any increase. Last year it appropriated $60.2 million of an original request for $76 million for use by OCDM. Civilian Mask. A $500,000 engineering study now under way for OCDM by General Tire and Rubber will establish production techniques and costs for the new civilian mask. Production, distribution, and sales would be handled by private industry. Developed especially for civilians by the Army Chemical Corps under OCDM contract, the mask (designated CDV-805) will come in six sizes and probably will sell for about $3.00. Its features: no unwieldy canister (filter pads are at the cheek position), easy breathing, good visibility and speech transmission, and comfort. 34
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Call Me Olin Olin Mathieson will use shorter name to build corporate identity Olin Mathieson wants to be known by its first name. In the future, therefore, it will use "Olin" to identify itself wherever possible, rather than the longer, more cumbersome name of Olin Mathieson Chemical Corp. (although its legal name will remain unchanged). Olin, moreover, will be tied in as much as possible with division names. In some cases, divisional brand names will be changed; Western Brass will become Olin Brass, for example, and Frostkraft Containers will be changed to Olin Containers. And divisional signatures on advertising, stationery, calling cards, and the like will be
Olin Mathieson Is Changing Its Signature from This...
OLIN MATHIESON Chemical Corporation ...To This
Olin standardized for all divisions; the chemicals division will sign itself Chemicals Division Olin, for instance, and E. R. Squibb will use Squibb Division Olin. The word "Olin" is getting new treatment on printed material, too. The company had industrial designers Lippincott & Margulies work up a stylized design, with the " 0 " split horizontally into a more abstract shape. Several reasons lie behind the changes. Olin felt that its full name, in addition to being too long, overemphasized the chemicals end of its business. It decided that its corporate image was being lost through too many brand names and trademarks picked up through several mergers. And it decided that its advertising budgets were being spread too thin in attempts to promote many separate
products without benefiting operations of the entire corporation. As part of its move to improve corporate identity, Olin is launching a $2.5 million corporate advertising campaign next month. The campaign will include four-color spreads in nine magazines largely aimed at the general public. The entire program, Olin hopes, will result in the corporation's over-all advertising and sales promotion outlays tying together each of its operations. And the company wants to eliminate, as much as possible, confusion caused by too many trademarks and names.
New Firm Integrates Nuclear Energy Services Olin Mathieson, Mallinckrodt and Nuclear Development Corp. of America are forming a new company to offer integrated services in the nuclear energy field. The new firm—to be called United Nuclear Corp.—will combine the facilities and personnel of NDA, Olin's nuclear fuels operation, and commercial operations of Mallinckrodt's nuclear division. United Nuclear wall serve both government and commercial customers. It will handle research and development, reactor systems design, manufacture of nuclear fuel materials, reactor and core fabrications, fuel management, cold scrap processing, and production of isotopes and hot radiation energy sources. It will also have personnel for hot core transportation, hot scrap reprocessing, and hot waste disposal. William C. Foster, a director and vice president of Olin, wall be president of United Nuclear. (Olin will be majority shareholder in the new corporation.) Executives in charge of the three companies' nuclear operations will be vice presidents of the new7 company in charge of those activities. United Nuclear will employ about 1400 people. Its facilities wall include NDA's operations at White Plains, N.Y., Olin Mathieson's nuclear fuels activities at New Haven and Montville, Conn., and Mallinckrodt's commercial operations at St. Louis and Hematite, Mo. NDA stockholders will vote on the plan at a special meeting to be held soon. NDA formed in 1948 by scientists from the wartime atomic program, specializes in designing, developing, and fabricating reactors.
