EADLINES of the Month Events of Interest to Chemists, Chemical Engineers, and EXeCUtiVeS--Reviewed
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t FEBRUARY 1. David E. Lilienthal, chairman Atomic Energy Commission, gives permanent status to Oak Ridge Laboratory and says Clinton National Laboratory will become Oak Ridge Sational Laboratory March 1 and be operated by Carbide & Carbon Chemicals through 1951.--AEC, in annual report to Congress, states continued production of radioisotopes at Clinton National Laboratory makes possible nationwide program of tracer research in medicine, agriculture, biology, metallurgy, and industrial processing.-WAEC establishes research fellowship program in physical sciences basic to atomic research and development; two groups of fellowships are proposed-postdoctoral and predoctoral. 7 FEBRUARY 2. Lieut. Gen. Leslie R. Groves, wartime commander Manhattan Project which supervised development of atomic bomb, requests retirement from Army effective February 29.“ Secretary of Interior Krug, in annual report, appeals for more federal funds for conservation and development of natural resources. --Organization and Mobilization Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee agrees unanimously on legislation to keep Government in synthetic rubber business and maintain 675,000-ton annual capacity for national defense.--Bureau of Mines says U. S. has added thallium and gallium to its list of rare metals of strategic importance.--B. F. Goodrich introduces Terry Duce, vice president tubeless automobile tires. --J. American Arabian Oil, tells Special Subcommittee on Petroleum of the House Armed Services Committee that development of Middle East oil reserves should be put ahead of synthetic fuels S. and Italy sign new commercial treaty includprogram.--U. ing promise to allow “freedom of information.” 7 FEBRUARY 4. U. S. Rubber reports silicone is being used as center of golf ba1ls.N-Senator Frederic E. Hammer proposes to New York Senate that the New York State National Guard be trained in use of atomic bombs.--Continental Can president Hans A. Eggerss urges Congress to drop government controls on tin, saying if this is done there will be no loss of perishable foods because of lack of cans. 7 FEBRUARY 5. AEC, in report to Congress, recommends that only official observers be permitted to view weapons tests a t Eniwetok.--David E. Lilienthal warns radio executives in New York that only with greater knowledge and understanding of atomic energy are we to escape ‘[some desperate finality.”-Senate votes for another 3-year government experimental program of getting oil from coal and shale, to be administered by the Office of Synthetic Liquid Fuels, U. S. Bureau of Mines.--AEC ships 110 carloads of construction materials from its Oak Ridge, Tenn., plant to expand its plutonium works a t Hanford, Wash. --Games Slayter, recipient of 1948 medal of Industrial Research Institute and vice president in charge of research and development at Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp., at dinner in his honor a t Rye, IY.Y., advocates intensified research to preserve productivity of soil and conserve diminishing natural resources.--During current nitrate year-July 1, 1947, to June 30, 1948-Chile expects to produce 1,800,000 tons of nitrate for export, approximately 600,000 tons of which will come to U. S.
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lknd top executives and technical experts to western European nations to improve their manufacturing methods and increase production abroad.--Wood pulp production hits new all-time high of 11,951,548 tons in 1947, Bureau of Census reports.--G. M. Jarvis, secretary Canada’s Atomic Energy Control Board, says laboratory is being constructed atj Chalk River, Ontario, atomic plant which is in line with a progressive construction program.N-Secretary of State Marshall, in a letter to Senator Arthur H. Vandenburg, declares dismantling of German plants and reparations program cannot be broken off without throwing into jeopardy ‘(theunity of purpose and feeling” essential to European recovery.NNPope Pius XI1 urges use of atomic energy for warlike purposes be banned and calls atomic bomb “most terrible arm which the human mind has thus far conceived.”
7 FEBRUARY 9. Karl T. Compton, president MIT, in an address at American Warehousemen’s Association in Atlantic City, predicts that within 10 years there will be some practical application of atomic power for peacetime purposes but not where coal or other fuels are readily available.--President Truman asks Congress for prompt action to continue his special controls over tin, fertilizers, and a few other products.--John L. Collyer, president B. F. Goodrich, assails Shafer rubber bill recently approved by a House Armed Services Committee, saying that i t “applies permanent socialized control to what should be a free competitive industry.”--Pure Oil Co. announces it has brought in a new well in Andrews County, Tex., which is a “very substantial producer.”--Atlas Plywood Corp.’s subsidiary, Marvil Package Co., purchases plant and equipment of Williamston Package Manufacturing Co. of Williamston, N. C.--Supreme Court refuses review of Ohio Oil’s case in which lower court decided that an oil company leasing land from the Government must pay royalties on basis of value fixed by Secretary of the Interior. --House authorizes extension of Department of Interior’s synthetic fuel program until 1952 a t an additional cost of $30,000,000 in bill already approved by Senate.--Effort to rename synthetic rubber gets coordinated governmental support as Representative Shafer, who introduced a bill designating “synthetic” as “American-made rubber,” compromises with Armed Services Subcommittee who reported out the bill with the substitution of term “chemical rubber”-a designation insisted on by State Department; “chemical rubber” appears 44 times in 20page bill.--W. S. Richardson, president B. F. Goodrich Chemical, announces company will construct $3,000,000 general chemical plant in Avon Lake, Ohio.--Henry K. Perry, president Commercial Solvents, announces a $2,000,000 expansion in research and development facilities a t company’s plant in Terre Haute, 1nd.--Copolymer Corp. enters upon large-scale production of low-temperature synthetic rubber a t its plant in Baton Rouge, La., A. L. Friedlander, president of the corporation, says.-Merck expands its Canadian division with the approval of its board of directors of three new buildings a t the Valleyfield, Quebec, streptomycin plant, said to be the first in the British Empire to produce the antibiotic.--Holland is producing only 30 to 40% of her domestic penicillin requirements, the balance being imported from the U. S. and Great Britain, health officials a t Delft, Holland, announce.--U. S. Bureau of Mines reports that acetylene under pressure can be rendered nonexplosive and handled safely if mixed in proper proportions with such hydrocarbon gases as natural gas, propane, and butane, but carbon dioxide, nitrogen, helium, and hydrogen also render acetylene
7 FEBRUARY 8. Du Pont announces development of effective antifogging agent for car windows and eye glasses; unpatented formula available to manufacturers who wish to market cloth W. Gifford, chairtreated with this antifogging agent.--Roy man board Borg-Warner International Corp., asks industry to 545
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under pressure less explosive.---A. Lynn Ivey, president Virginia Carolina Chemical Corp., announces purchase of a new plant for production of regenerated protein fibers a t Taftville, Conn.N-Gustav Egloff , director of research Universal Oil Products, tells City Club of Chicago oil industry can produce sufficient oil for our needs without disturbing the domestic economy with the huge synthetic fuel program proposed by the Secretary of the Interior. "National Petroleum Council chairman Walter S. Hallanan appoints committee headed by W.K. Warren, Warren Petroleum Corp., Tulsa, Okla., to study liquefied petroleum situation because of belief installations are outspacing available transportation. Other committee members include: Louis Abramson, Jr. , Petrolane Gas Co., New Orleans; C. &I.Ambrose, Liquefied Gas Corp., Seattle; C. F. Dowd, Tide Water Associated Oil Co., Kew York; Louis M. Faber, Retail Gasoline Dealers Association, Milwaukee; J. M. Gardiner, Republic Oil Refining Co., Pittsburgh; H. T. Goss, Arkansas Fuel Oil Co., Shreveport; B. C. Graves, Union Tank Car Co., Chicago; Charles S. Jones, Richfield Oil Corp., Los Angeles; R. S. Mitchell, Shell Oil Co., New York; C. R. Musgrave, Phillips Petroleum Co., Bartlesville, Okla. ; Irving Slossberg, Lehigh Petroleum Corp., Norwich; H. K. Strickler, Protane Corp., Erie; L. L. Tonkin, Hope Natural Gas Co., Clarksburg, W.Va.; J. W. Vaiden, Skelly Oil Co., Tulsa; R. J. Walshe, The Texas Co., New York; Howard D White, Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association, Chicago; C. R. Williams, Natural Gasoline Association of America, Corpus Christi. 7 FEBRUARY 10. Felix N. Williams, vice president Monsanto Chemical Co., says company is completing expansion program at Springfield, Mass., which will double its production capacity of phenolic plastics.-NOffice of International Trade removes glycols and mixed glycols from list of commodities requiring a validated export license.
7 FEBRUARY 11. British Ambassador Lord Inverchapel announces awards to Americans who contributed to allied war effort in various fields of scientific research and development as follows: Vannevar Bush, director Office of Scientific Research and Development, made Knight Commander of civilian division of Most Excellent Order of British Empire. Other awards included honorary commanders of civilian division of Most Excellent Order of British Empire to Karl T. Compton, M.I.T., and to James B. Conant, Harvard University; the King's medal for service in the cause of freedom t o Bennett .Irehambault, scientific attach6 to U. S. Ambassador, Af. W.KellogT Co., New York, N. Y.; J. C. Boyce, Department of Physics, Kew York University; Harris M. Chadwell, Rockefeller Foundation, New York, N. Y.; Hans T. Clarke, College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York; Caryl P. Haskins, director Haskins Laboratories, New York, N. Y.; Alfred L. Loomis, Tuxedo Park, N. Y.; W.A. Noyes, Jr., Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester; Isador I. Rabi, Department of Physics, Columbia University; Chauncey G. Suits, General Electric Co., Schenectady, N. Y. ; and Warren Weaver, Rockefeller Foundation, New York, N. Y. 7 FEBRUARY 12. Gustavus J. Esselen, president Esselen Research Corp. and member Advisory Board INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY and Chemical and Engineering News, receives James F. Norris award for his many contributions to advancement of Northeastern Section, A.C.S. ,at section's 50th anniversary dinner in Harvard Club, Boston.-"7estinghouse Electric says it Rrill build $476,000 worth of electric motors for AEC, --Copolymer Corp., Baton Rouge, La., announces new synthetic rubber, ultipara, claimed to excel the best natural rubber by as much as 20%, will go into large-scale production February 20. --Chairman Arthur Capper of Senate Agriculture Committee, introduces S. 2142 transferring ownership of Muscatine, Iowa, alcohol plant from Reconstruction Finance Corp. to USDS so that full-scale commercial demonstration of a new
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cost-saving process for distilling grain for alcohol may be made. --Sterling-Winthrop Research Institute reports that germs S. learn to resist penicillin by changing their shapes."R. Reynolds, president Reynolds Metals Go., says immediate steps must be taken to remove bottlenecks which are hampering aluminum production or tremendous plane construction program vi11 be crippled.--Petroleum producers agree on an 18-month expansion program with government help a t a closed meeting attended by rhairmen of six subcommittees of Department of Interior's Xational Petroleum Council.
7 FEBRUARY 13. Pierre huger, French nuclear physicist who recently announced his discovery of a new particle in cosmic ray showers, becomes director scientific section UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.--Kathan L. Drake, chairman Department of Chemistry, University of Maryland, wins 1948 Hillebrand Prize of the Chemical Society of Washington, D. C."Vannevar Bush in an address at dinner celebrating centennial of Lawrence Scientific School at Harvard University, hails rise of engineers and says "engineering owes its being both to science and to business."--Commerce Department reimposes its wartime allocation controls on general purpose synthetic rubber.--At third annual analytical symposium held in Pittsburgh by the Pittsburgh Section, A.C.S., electric eyes are described as latest scientific aids in detecting poisons in foods, drugs, alloys, metals, and plastics.--Geoffrey Willrinson reports transmutation of platinum and iridium into gold a t Radiation Laboratory, University of California.--Office of International Trade eases export licensing procedures on free supply commodities for Europe. 7 FEBRUARY 14. U. S. and British Military Governors agreed to permit Germans to manufacture virgin aluminum.--J. Henry Rushton, director Chemical Engineering Department a t Illinois Institute of Technology, says gasoline, Diesel oil, and furnace fuel oil can be produced synthetically at rate of 250,000 bbl. a day if 30 chemical processing plants are constructed in natural gas fields of the Southwest and southern California.--3T.I.T. receives $250,000 grant for atomic research and training of nuclear scientists from Texas Co.N-President Truman designates Alexander Wetmore, secretary Smithsonian Institution, chairman of Interdepartmental Committee on Research and Development, and Thomas B. Nolan, assistant director U. S. Geological Survey, vice chairman. Other members of the committee are: James B. Fisk, Division of Research, AEC; E. U. Condon, National Bureau of Standards; Mary E. Switzer, Federal Security Administration; Hugh L. Dryden, National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics; W. V. Lambert, Agriculture Department; J. E. Graf, Smithsonian Institution; E. H. Cushing, Veterans' -4dministration; Maj, Gen. Henry S. Aurand, Department of the Army; Maj. Gen. A. C. McAuliffe, Department of the Army; Maj. Gen. L. C. Craigie, Department of the Air Force; Lawrence R. Hafstad, National Military Establishment, and Rear Admiral P. F. Lee, Department of the Navy.--Pittsburgh Consolidated Coal Co. announces it is ready to begin construction of a $3,000,000 pilot plant to convert coal into gasoline, fuel oils, and gas a t Library, Pa.-=-@ecretary of Defense Forrestal announces plans for establishment of a comprehensive national civilian defense organization that would go into immediate action in event of an atomic war, to be headed by a $10,000-a-year civilian director. 7 FEBRUARY 15. Car1 F. Cori, Washington University, St. Louis, Mo., and a Nobel Prize winner, wins Willard Gibbs Medal of Chicago Section, A.C.S., for his research on processes by which the human body converts sugar into energy, Herbert E. Robinson, Charles H. chairman of section, announces.--Representative Elston asks the House to appropriate $4,150,000 to buiId and equip a water pollution research project at Cincinnati.--Representative John W.Heselton says only alternative to creation of a National Petroleum Commission is for industry to make concrete suggestions immediately for self-regulation.
