36 



National Resources Planning Board 



idgc with the aid of C. F. Kettering and the Victor 

 X-Ray Company. Two months before America en- 

 tered the war, the Submarine Signal Company of 

 Boston, and the General Electric Company, aided a 

 little later by the Western Electric Company, had 

 taken the first steps toward developing a submarine 

 detector. By November 1917, the famous "C" and 

 "K" tubes were ready for trial installations, and their 

 performance proved to be superior to any other detect- 

 ing device that the country produced before the armi- 

 stice was signed. An appreciable percentage of the 

 personnel of the Westinghouse Laboratories went into 

 various departments of the Government during the 

 war. In many other research laboratories, facilities, 

 money, and men were placed at the service of the 

 country in meeting the problems caused by the war in 

 Europe and later by our participation in it. 



American chemists and chemical manufacturers were 

 harshlj' criticized during the war for having failed 

 to develop an American dye mdustry. They rephed 

 with various explanations. "The United States," said 

 Bernhard C. Hesse, "had persistently and deliberately 

 declined to bring about economic conditions which 

 those who were in a position to know told them were 

 essential to the establishment of an independent coal- 

 tar color industry in this country." " A. D. Little 

 gave a different explanation of the lack of dye industry 

 when he said : 



The plain underlying reason why we have been unable during 

 thirty years of tariff protection to develop in this country an 

 independent and self-contained coal-tar color industry while dur- 

 ing the same period the Germans have magnificently succeeded 

 is to be found in the failure of our manufacturers and capitalists 

 to realize the creative power and earning capacity of industrial 

 research." 



Whether either of these statements gives a completely 

 satisfactory explanation of America's dependence in 

 1914 upon Germany for dyes and dye intermediates is 

 doubtful and beside the point here. The significant 

 fact for this survey is that in cooperation with the 

 Government, American industrialists established a dye 

 industry which American scientists have continued to 

 advance teclmically. The foundation of the industry 

 was laid when A. AL Palmer, alien property custodian, 

 and Francis P. Garvan, his colleague, became convinced 

 that the German patents would not only provide a 

 solution of the immediate problem, but would also 

 serve to protect the new industry against German 

 competition after the war." 



M Hesse, BerDbard C. Contribullon of the chemist to the Industrial development 

 or the United States — a record of achievement. Industrial and Engineerinfj Chemistrj/, 

 7, 297 (April 1915). 



"Little, A. D. The dyestufi situation and Its lesson. Jnduttrlal and Engineering 

 Chemlttrg, 7, 239 (March 1915). 



" The Chemical Foundation. Scientific American, IK, 315 (March 29. 1919). 



When the Trading with the Enemy Act was first 

 drawn up it did not provide the ahen property custodian 

 with authority to take over enemy owned patents, but 

 an amendment to the act remedied tliis defect. The 

 idea was then conceived of putting the patents in the 

 hands of an American institution strong enough to 

 protect them. An effective barrier to German importa- 

 tions after the war would thereby be erected and Amer- 

 ican industry would be freed from the prohibition en- 

 forced by the patents against manufacture. The 

 Chemical Foundation, Inc., originated by Garvan and 

 approved by President Wilson, came into existence and 

 acquired about 4,500 of the former German chemical 

 patents. It was not to operate any patent itself, but 

 merely to issue nonexclusive licenses for the patents for 

 a small fee to persons, firms, or corporations wishing 

 to participate in a competitive chemical industry. After 

 certain provisions for the retirement of preferred stock 

 were met, all siu-plus income went to the support of 

 research. 



Although Garvan had had no formal scientific train- 

 ing, he believed wholeheartedly in the importance of 

 applied science, and, as rapidly as funds were available, 

 he used them to support cherr'cal research and to edu- 

 cate the public in the importance of the chemical in- 

 dustries. The paper research laboratory at Savannah. 

 Ga., which, under the direction of Charles H. Herty, 

 has developed processes for the utilization of southern 

 pine in the manufacture of newsprint paper is an out- 

 standing example of research made possible by the fund 

 of the Chemical Foundation. In 1934 Garvan organ- 

 ized the Farm Chemurgic Council in an attempt to 

 bring together the leaders of science, agriculture, and 

 industry for an attack upon the problems that have 

 faced agriculture for many years. 



In 1916, when the National Academy of Sciences 

 offered its services to the Government, President Wilson 

 asked it to organize an advisory committee and various 

 subconmiittecs to coordinate and make available to the 

 Government the research resources of nongovernmental 

 institutions. The National Research Council was 

 formed as an operating agency of the National Academy 

 of Sciences, and its work was so effective that in May 

 1918, again at the request of President Wilson, it was 

 given permanent organization.*' 



Early in the war the submarine problem and the 

 development of antisubmarine devices engaged the 

 attention of the Council. Fifty engineers and physi- 

 cists, called together to determine what had already 

 been done in this field, formed special groups to deal 

 with various phases of the problem. Scientists from 

 the Allied countries came to America to report what 



•' Barrows, Albert L. The relationship of the National Research Council to 

 industrial research. This volume, pp. 365-370. 



