502
T H E J O U R N A L O F Ih’DUSTRIAL A N D ENGINEERING C H E M I S T R Y
Val. 13, NO.6
EDITORIALS Welcome To Madame Curie! Welcome, thrice welcome, t o our distinguished honorary member, Madame Curie! Since the day of her arrival she has been overwhelmed with honors and with entertainment, almost to the detriment of her physical health. She has inspected the plants where radium and other rare mineral salts are produced, and carries home increased facilities for continuing her research. She has come into touch with our bustling American life, and perhaps when she gets back t o the quiet of her laboratory she will tell us what she thinks of it all. Her presence has emphasized without t h e necessity of words the great value of fundamental chemical research and the possibilities for thoroughly equipped women in chemistry. Her visit has proved a fitting and delightful means of emphasizing again t h e strength of the tie t h a t binds France and America.
A Tragedy Averted A new chapter in the fight for the protection of the American coal-tar chemical industry opened on April 26, 1921, when Senator Knox introduced in t h e Senate Finance Committee an amendment t o the Emergency Tariff Bill continuing for six months the regulations controlling the importation of coal-tar chemicals, which were in danger of immediate abrogation should the Knox peace resolution become law. This law would automatically terminate t h e Trading-with-theEnemy Act, under which the War Trade Board Section of t h e State Department had been functioning. Senator Knox was simply acting in good faith, t o preserve for the sole industry affected by his peace resolution t h e protection which he recognized was necessary for its very existence. The amendment made no change except to transfer the administrative machinery from the State Department to the Treasury Department. The Finance Committee acceptcd the amendment and the bill was reported favorably t o the Senate. Then Khat a howl was raised! Senator bioses mas naturally t h e high soprano in the very limited but noisy chorus of opposition. Senator Knox disposed of the Moses objections promptly and effectually when he refused t o view the matter from the “standpoint of a profit and loss account of a Dolly Varden calico mill in New England.” The word “monopoly,” used by Senator Moses in referring to the American dye industry, fell like honeyno, rather something highly stimulative-into the waiting mouths of Senators King and Hitchcock. The result was a flood of oratory. All of t h e familiar stock phrases which characterized the “trust-busters” of old were resurrected. Both Senators were deeply impressed by t h e large exports of American dyes during t h e past few yeass, not caring t o trouble themselves about looking into the character and conditions of this export business. They could have learned t h a t it represented the natural American genius for mass production where methods
have been thoroughly standardized, and t h a t the products were marketed a t a time when there were no other available sources of dyes. They could easily have learned of the tremendous drop in dye exportsduring the past six months, as shown in the following table from figures issued by the Department of Commerce. EXPORTS O F ANILINE DYES S o v e m h e r 1920 December 1920 January 1 0 2 1 February 1921 March 1921 April 1921
$2,006,534 1,758,170 943,595 397,123 574,969 305,760
A few days later Senator King exclaimed “this voracious trust is determined t o perpetuate in peace times war policies and fasten upon the people an obnoxious and vicious system under which it may conceal its acts of spoliation and robbery.” But what evidence is there of a trust? N o interlocking directorates were mentioned, no operating agreements were exposed, n o uniform fixed prices were quoted by t h e Senator, nor was any tendency of large concerns t o swallow up small ones reported. There is no American dye trust, and the fact is well known. T h e small manufacturers are on record before the Senate (Congressional Record, June 3, 1920, pages 8306-8) in a petition urging favorable protective legislation, without which they maintain t h a t they will be the first t o go down in the struggle with the real dye trust in Germany. There is no tendency t o hold up the American people with exorbitant prices, as shown by the following schedule of prices of typical articles, obtained on the street a few days ago: DYES
PRICE A YEAR 4GO
$0.85 Fuchsin Crystals.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Malachite Green Crystals.. ......... Methylene Blue Technical.. . . . . . . . .
INTERMEDIATES USED P
1.20 4.25 5.50 4.50 3.75
TO-DAY $0.50
PRICE
0.75 2.50 2.75 2.00 2.40
Aniline Oil.. Beta-Naphthol., Para-Nitroaniline
.......... .................. ..................
0,37 0.88 1.75
0. IS 0 32
OTHERINTERMEDIATES Gamma Acid.. .................... Benzidine, Base.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dimethylaniline Para-Phenylenediamine . . . . . . . . . . . .
6.00 1.50 2 20
3.26 1.oo 0.42 1.75
..................
2.50
0.so
It was Senator King who, in t h e last Congress, rushed in a bill t o restore alien property and holdings seized during t h e war. This may be a mere coincidence, of course. The bill was not reported out of committee, b u t t h e Senator, nothing daunted, reintroduced the t h e bill soon after the present Congress convened. At the conclusion of Senator Hitchcock’s address, Senator Knox commented (Congressional Record, hf a y 11, 1921, page 1285): I only wanted to observe t h a t there is something entirely familiar in these lamentations of the Senator from Nebraska about the probability of the German monopoly in the most dangerous munitions t h a t have ever been manufactured being interfered with by this bill. Weremember that during the war, when the Germans had a monopoly of munitions and the Allies could not obtain munitions t o fight the Huns the Senator from Nebraska advocated a bill t o prevent the people of the United States from
June, 1921
T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T l U A L A N D E N G I N E E R I N G C H E M I S T R Y
shipping munitions to the French and to the English and to the Italians, who were engaged in a death struggle with Germany for the preservation of civilization. When t h e time came for voting, t h e amendment was overwhelmingly adopted b y t h e Senate. I n conference t h e duration of t h e protection afforded by this “Dye a n d Chemical Control Act, of 1921,” was limited t o three months. The bill continues t h e licensing of importations as hitherto carried out, except t h a t t h e power is vested in t h e Customs Division of t h e Treasury Department, where i t logically belongs. The act was signed by President Harding on May 27, 1921. A near tragedy has been averted, b u t t h e end is not yet.
A Call t o Service Our organic chemical industry has been spared a mort a l blow. T h e flood gates have not been opened for t h e inrush of t h e accumulated German stocks of dyes a n d other synthetic organic chemicals. But t h e fight is not yet over. Those who desire opportunity for unrestricted importation are working bitterly. Witness t h e following letter sent to a consumer of dyes by a firm of importers whose record shows all too clearly their Teutonic connections:
KUTTROFF, PICKHARDT & CO.,Inc. DYESTUFFS
COLORS A N D CHEMICALS
_qp_
I,.
NEW Y O R I D”1”l e71117
-
action. Continued education is needed as t o its significance for economic independence and national defense. T h e daily press is doing splendid work, both i n i t s editorial and news columns. The Chemical Foundation is playing a n important part through its distribution of Dr. Slosson’s book “Creative Chemistry.” 65,000 copies of this fascinating, illuminative story of chemistry have already been distributed t o leaders of thought in every state. T h e Commissioner of Education has distributed t h e pamphlet “Treasure Hunting of To-day” t o every high school in the land. Under t h e auspices of t h e National Research Council there has been prepared by t h e Chemical Warfare Service an exhibit, including a topographic model in relief, charts, and specimens, showing the close relations of the various lines of chemical industry. This exhibit was shown not long ago in t h e Capitol i n Washington, where it was closely studied b y members of Congress, a n d has nom been permanently established in t h e National Museum. I n this work of furthering public understanding you, fellow chemist, have your responsibility. Are your neighbors, your business associates, your community thinkers, familiar with t h e facts? Talk t o a groupspeak before your Rotary Club-address t h e local Chamber of Commerce. Arrange for a n exhibit somewhere in your city. This is not t h e business of any small group of men, but a task for each individual chemist t o share.
Less Legislation-More
E”?
n*or
OUT--
ACK
MAY‘ 2 6 1921 4NS.
e* D
What is t h e best method of overcoming this opposition a n d insuring permanent legislation which will preserve t o this nation t h e invaluable asset of a complete coal-tar chemical industry? It is only necessary t o tell t h e whole straightforward story in language which t h e m a n o n t h e street can understand. Show t h e organic chemical industry as it existed (or didn’t exist) before the war, conditions during t h e war, a n d happenings (legislative and otherwise) since t h a t time. T h e story of chemistry always effects a dynamic conviction which expresses itself in definite
503
Cooperation
T o meet t h e great difficulties being experienced in enforcing t h e prohibition feature of t h e National Prohibition Act a new enforcement bill has been introduced into Congress. Popularly i t is known as a n anti-beer bill, b u t i t has been skilfully drawn, a n d restricts t h e use of alcohol t o a n extent which will seriously handicap a great number of the chemical industries a n d practically prevent t h e development of others. The zeal of t h e prohibitionist has led him t o ignore completely t h a t section of the basic law, Title 111, which seeks t o encourage t h e development of the manufacture of industrial alcohol and t o facilitate its distribution. It took many years t o educate our legislators t o t h e necessity of alcohol as a sine qua nnn in many lines of industry, but t h e good work was finally accomplished. Manufacture began on a large scale a n d thb needed industries sprang up. Now the whole structure; built in good faith, seems threatened, just a t a time when President Harding is urging t h a t a closer a n d more sympathetic relationship between government a n d business should exist. Now when Congress is showing the most friendly attitude towards chemicals in general there comes a side swipe against t h e most important of all chemical reagents, alcohol. New laws are n o t needed here. T h e wording of the Act is plain. Let the newly appointed Commissioner of Internal Revenue call t o his aid representatives of the industries t o advise with him about their needs and difficulties. H e can secure their wholehearted cooperation. There is opportunity here for t h e creation of t h a t sympathetic relationship between government a n d business for which t h e President pleads.
