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foreign lands where they seek to do business. It is pointed out that it is but logical that the Interessengemeinschaft should organize in America a holding corporation over which it could exercise control a t all times and the business of which would be to represent German interests here, to receive and dispose of any moneys which may be paid on account of settlements emanating from the Alien Property Custodian’s office, and engage in such active expansion of its business as good judgment may dictate. If the German-controlled holding company sees fit to borrow money on American assets by selling bonds to American purchasers and wishes to transfer the proceeds of such a sale to headquarters in Frankfort, then no one is justified in raising an objection. The allegation that the corporation was hurriedly formed to secure money needed in Germany when, because of reparation tangles, a satisfactory loan could not be floated, is stoutly denied. The project is said to have been a t least two years in the making. Colonel Donovan, in his address a t the Salesmen’s Dinner in New York, reiterated his belief that trusts and organizations such as the German I. G. no longer constitute a menace when they create an American corporation to do their business. This is because they must then obey our laws and we know full well how to deal with monopolistic organizations. There seems to be good ground for this view, but it touches the legal phase only and leaves us with the definite task of safeguarding and building up that which we have already won. The industries must expand, not curtail, their research programs. Confidence may require demonstration. World domination by one nation through science is only possible if others, by their inaction, make it possible. Our chemists must make every effort to keep abreast of research, and in this they are greatly aided by such publications as Chemical Abstracts. American bankers need to be helped to understand and appreciate American capability and opportunity. Our chemical industry would do well to follow Colonel Donovan’s suggestion that it organize an inclusive trade association which offers one of the best means of effectively serving the units of an industry under our laws and conditions. If the American I. G. Chemical Corporation proves to be an entering wedge to disrupt and destroy the American chemical industry, it will meet unyielding opposition.
An Auspicious Meeting N NUMEROUS occasions the chemical industry of the United States has been urged to form a federation or a general trade association. The existence of groups organized in special fields of chemical activity would seem to offer the means through which this objective could be attained, but minor discords have interfered. The natural differences between the chemical and other industries, though tending to make the formation of a federation more difficult, would not seem grave enough to defeat such a plan. Surely there is sufficient common ground for united action and exchange of opinions. The representatives of various associations have harmoniously served on a number of committees, notably the Industrial Advisory Council to the Prohibition Unit of the Treasury Department, and individuals identified with the several branches of the chemical industry have performed valuable service through the Chemical Advisory Committee to the Department of Commerce, which last met April 18, 1929. There is reason to believe that, through the initiation and management of the two conferences of the chemical executives, held in December, 1926, and February, 1928, much was done to promote the better acquaintance
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among individuals which underlies successful trade association work. Indeed, the good that has come to the industry and to the Department of Commerce through these conferences of executives has led to the suggestion put forward by Henry Howard, that the plan be adopted by other commodity divisions and that ten representatives of the Department located in the principal foreign countries be brought back for a series of conferences. An auspicious meeting to be held early in June is the first joint meeting of the Manufacturing Chemists’ Association and the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association of the United States. May we not hope that this is but the first of a long series of such meetings, to be enlarged from time to time by bringing in other organized groups, and that ere long some type of federation may be formed? Such a strong association could speak for the chemical industry as a whole, initiate concerted action, and conduct a program of constructive work leading to a realization of trade possibilities, both a t home and abroad. The meeting in Wilmington will be watched with unusual interest and on all sides we hear the hope expressed that it may be successful in every particular.
The Cleveland Disaster VERYWHERE the deepest sympathy is expressed for E those involved in the distressing disaster a t the hospital in Cleveland where, from some undetermined cause, x-ray photographic film exploded. George W. Crile, the head of the organization, enjoys a world-wide reputation as one of America’s foremost surgeons, a man of kindly sympathies, philanthropic tendencies, technical skill, and constructive imagination. It is ironical that such a catastrophe should overtake an institution to which he and his colleagues have so unselfishly given of their time and their means. We learn by costly experience. Doubtless there are many other similar potential hazards in the hospitals and laboratories of the country. We do not know what set o f f the film, but from what we can learn the explosion was somewhat similar to that which has occurred in battleship turrets. When nitrocellulose burns with insufficient air, corrosive and suffocating nitrogen dioxide or its polymer, nitrogen tetroxide-depending on the temperature-is formed and this, red in color, was probably responsible for the early accounts that bromine had done the damage. We are particularly sorry to see certain papers appealing to the misinformation which some still hold with respect to poison gas and failing to distinguish between gas that is poisonous and the war gases which, in many quarters, have been given an undeserved reputation by our newspapers. On the whole we feel that efforts made during the last decade by many agencies to interest the daily press in true accounts have borne good fruit, but occasionally we despair. Had this calamity befallen some community where competent scientific advice was unobtainable, certain press despatches might more easily be overlooked. In Cleveland there are many sources of information which, if called upon, might have prevented the newspapers from printing the ludicrous statements that have appeared. The press alone is not to blame, however, for some interviews, if correctly quoted, displayed inexcusable carelessness on the part of scientists granting them. That film stored in any quantity should be placed in a separate building to avoid a repetition of such a disaster seems clear. How it should be stored is known and the information upon the subject is available. Steps should be taken everywhere to make impossible further losses from a similar cause.
