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 CHEMICALSOCIETYrecommending 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 DEARSIR: 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.
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T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I 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
said act of Congress, hereby find and determine and by this proclamation do announce that it is essential, in order to carry into effect the purposes of said act, to license the importation, manufacture, storage, and distribution of the following necessaries : Fertilizers and fertilizer ingredients, including sulfuric acid, phosphate rock, acid phosphate, bones (raw, ground, or steamed), bone-black, basic slag, sodium nitrate, ammonia sulfate, cottonseed meal, slaughterhouse tankage, garbage tankage, castor pomace, fish scrap, base goods, cyanamid, calcium nitrate, dried blood, acidulated leather, hair, hoof meal, horn dust, ground leather, other unacidulated ammoniates, potash salts, cement dust, blast-furnace dust, kelp ash, kelp char, dried kelp, wood ashes, cottonseed hull ashes, potassium nitrate, tobacco waste, mixed fertilizers, sulfur, and all other fertilizers and fertilizer ingredients. All individuals, partnerships, associations, and corporations engaged in the business of importing, manufacturing, storing, or distributing fertilizers or fertilizer ingredients (except those specifically exempted by said act of Congress, and except to the extent to which licenses have been issued under the proclamation of the President of January 3, 1918,relating to ammonia, ammoniacal liquors, and ammonium sulfates) are hereby required to secure licenses on or before March 20, 1918,which will be issued under such rules and regulations governing the conduct of the business as may be prescribed. The Secretary of Agriculture shall carry into effect the provisions of said act, and shall supervise and direct the exercise of the powers and authority thereby given to the President, as far as the same apply to fertilizers and fertilizer ingredients, and to any and all practices, procedure, and regulations applicable thereto, authorized or required under the provisions of said act, and in this behalf he shall do and perform such acts and things as may be authorized or required of him from time to time by direction of the President and under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the President from time to time. All departments and agencies of the Government are hereby directed to cooperate with the Secretary of Agriculture in the performance of the duties hereinbefore set forth. Applications for licenses must be made to the Law Department, License Division, United States Food Administration, Washington, D. C., upon forms prepared for that purpose. Any individual, partnership, association or corppration, other than as hereinbefore excepted, who shall engage in or carry on the business of importing, manufacturing, storing, or distributing fertilizers or fertilizer ingredients, after the date aforesaid, without first securing such license, will be liable to the penalties prescribed by said act of Congress. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done in the District of Columbia this 25th day of February, in the year of our Lord 1918 and of the independence of the United States of America the one hundred and forty-second. [SEAL I WOODROWWILSON By the President: ROBERT LANSING Secretary of State
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In the enforcement of the regulations prescribed in the President's proclamation, the Secretary of Agriculture has announced that he will be assisted by the following committee: Charles W. Merrill, chairman; C. L. Alsberg, Karl I?. Kellerman, A. E. Taylor, F. W. Brown, I,. L. Summers.
RESEARCH INFORMATION COMMITTEE The following statement is authorized by the Council of National Defense: I-By joint action the Secretaries of War and Navy, with the approval of the Council of National Defense, have au-
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thorized and approved the organization, through the National Research Council, ol a Research Information Committee in Washington with branch committees in Paris and London, which are intended to work in close cooperation with the officers of the Military and Naval Intelligence, and whose function shall be the securing, classifying, and disseminating of scientific, technical, and industrial research information, especially relating to war problems, and the interchange of such information between the allies in Europe and the United States. ORGANIZATION O F COMMITTEES
2-The
Washington committee consists o f :
( a ) A civilian member, representing the National Research Council, Dr. S. W. Stratton, chairman. ( b ) The chief, Military Intelligence Section. (c) The Director of Naval Intelligence.
.
3-The
initial organization of the committee in London is:
( a ) The scientific attache represenfing the Research Information
Committee; Dr. H. A. Bumstead, attach& ( b ) The military attache, or an officer deputed to act for him. ( 6 ) The naval attiache, or an officer deputed t o act for him.
4-The
initial organization of the committee in Paris is:
( a ) The scientific attache representing t h e Research Information
Committee; Dr. W. F. Durand, attache. ( b ) The military attache, or an officer deputed t o act for him. ( c ) The naval attache, or an officer deputed to act for him. FUNCTIONS OF FOREIGN COMMITTEES
S-The chief functions of the foreign committees thus organized are intended to be as lollows: ( a ) The development of contact with all important research laboratories or agencies, governmental or private; the compilation of problems and subjects under investigation; and the collection and compilation of t h e results attained. ( b ) The classification, organization, and preparation of such information for transmission t o the Research Information Committee in Washington. (c) The maintenance of continuous contact with the work of the offices of military and naval attaches in order t h a t all duplication of work or crossing of effort may be avoided, with the consequent waste of time and energy and the confusion resulting from crossed or duplicated effort. ( d ) To serve as an immediate auxiliary t o the offices of the military and naval attaches in the collection, analysis, and compilation of scientific, technical, and industrial research information. (e) To serve as an agency a t the immediate service of the commanderin-chief of the military or naval forces in Europe for the collection and analysis of scientific and technical research infotmation, and as an auxiliary t o such direct military and naval agencies as may be in use for the purpose. ( j ) T o serve as centers of distribution to the American Expeditionary Forces in France and to the American Naval Forces in European waters of scientific and technical research information, originating in the United States and transmitted through the Research Information Committee in Washington. ( 9 ) To serve as centers of distribution to our allies in Europe of scientjfic, technical, and industrial research information originating in the United States and transmitted through the Research Information Committee in Washington. (a) The maintenance of the necessary contact between the offices in Paris and London in order t h a t provision may be made for t h e direct and prompt interchange of important scientific and technical information. ( i ) T o aid research workers or collectors of scientific, technical, and industrial information from the United States, when properly accredited from the Research Information Committee in Washington, in best achieving their several and particular purposes.
6-The headquarters of the Research Information Committee in Washington are in the offices of the National Research Council, 1023 Sixteenth Street; the branch committees are located a t the American Embassies in London and Paris.
DYESTUFFS ASSOCIATION At the meeting of manufacturers of and dealers in dyestuffs held in Rumford Hall, Chemists' Club, New York City, on March 6 , 1918, to hear the report of the Organization Committee and to form a permanent organization, i t was decided by a vote of 27 to 5 to confine the association strictly to manufacturers of dyes and intermediates. The resolution presented to the meeting by the committee on organization read as follows:
