The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-02-12
Especial Correspondeneel.

leading newspapers OF the country have
recently contained dispatches frcm
Washington in which statements have
been made alleging that the Dupont
Powder company, which manufactures
smokeless powder for the government,
has sold the scret formulate for this
powder to other governments. and that
on its government contracts the powder
company was making 100 per cent.
profit,
The Truth about SmOkeIess Powder.
Smokeless powder. as now used by
the government. has not been so used
except in the last ten years. The first
order of any consequence for such
powder was given in 1897, when 10O,-
600 pounds were ordered of the Du-
Pont concern. Prior to that time the
government had been using Brown
Prismatic powder, which is a powder
Of entirely different character.
The smokeless powder now used by
the Government is manufactured and
furnished under specifications prepared
by the army and navy departments and
must conform to them.
In the year 1895 Admiral Converse
and Lieutenant BernadOu took out a
patent covering a certain kind of
smokeIess powder. This patent was Of
fered to the Dupont company at that
time and the Dupont company refused
to purchase it, thinking that it was not
Of value 1t was subsequently acquired
by the international Smokeless Powder
company in which at that time the Du-
Pont company had no interest. Dur
ing the existence of the Converse Ber-
nadou patents the Latin & Rand Powder
company, the California Powder works
and the Dupont company have manu-
featured smol1eless powder and fur
nished it to the government entirely
Irrespective of the provisions of these
patents. on the ground that there was
nothing in the patents which would
prevent such manufacture. This course
was at no time objected to by the
owners Of the CCnvers -Bernadou
patents.
Converse-BcrnadOu Patents Not Used.
Stock of the International SmOkeless
Powder company was purchased by the
Dupont company in 10000, and the
ownership of the Converse Bernadou
patents was thus acquired by the Du-
Pont company Since that time the Du-
Pont company has continued to furnish
| smokeless powder to the army and
navy departments, but the specifications
| under which this powder has been
furnished have been such that the prod
uct has been very different from that
described in the -Bernadou
patents For this reason all the criti-
cisn of the Dupont company alleging
that it has a monopoly of the smoke
less powder business of the United
States government because of its own
ership of the Converse Bernadou pat
ent has and can have absolutely nc
foundation
In regard to furnishing information
to foreign governments about the
| formula and secret processes employed
in the manufacture of smokeless
powder for the United States govern
ment, it is sufficient to say that so fa1
as the Converse BernadOu patents are
Il concerned they are on public record an6
that Droduct manufactured under then
cannot be protected by secrecy. 1t has
been stated that Mr.. Watts, at one
time president of the international
Fl Smokeless Powder company wrote {
letter to some Of the foreign govern
Iments Offering to give them the formulf
used in the manufacture of powder FOL
the United States government. Mr.
Watts is now dead. and it is impossible
to give the circumstances attending
the sender of that letter. Undoubted
ly if he were alive he could satisfac
torily explain them. 1t is enough t
say that the letter was written at {
time when the DUPONT company hat
absolutely no connection, as stock
holder, or otherwise, with the Inter
national Smokeless Powder company
nor did anyone interested in the Du
Pont company or in any company Will
which it was associated, have any re
Ilatfons with that corporation.
No Secret Patents on SmOkeIess Powder
There are patents owned by the Du
Pont company which have been tn
result of experiments made at the1
own works, and tC which the govern
ment can have no possible claim, which
in a measure facilitate the manufacture
of smokeless powder, and result il
economies These patents might be
handicap to certain extent upon
new company which desired to go Int
this business, but there is no patent
so far as the Dupont company is in
formed. which covers the product a
such and which would prevent its pro
Iduction by anyone with sufficient skill
and capital
Government Assisted by DUPONT &C
a smokeless powder plant was erect