Evening journal., 1907-02-26
TRUST"
ONLY A MYTH
dupont Company Has Not a
MOnapIY on The Powder
Making Business
ONLY II PER CENT. PROFIT

any consequence for such powder was
given in 1897. when 10000 pounds were or
dered Of tho dupont concern. Prior TO /
that time the Government had been using :
Brown Prismatic Powder, which is a /
powder Of entirely different character
The smoheless powder now used by tho
Government is manufactured and furnish
ed 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 smolSeless pow
der. This patent was offered to the du-
Pont Company at that time and the du-
Pont Company refused to purchase it.
thinking that it was not Of value. II was
subsequently acquired by the International
Smokeless Powder Company. in which at
that time the dupont Company had no In
terest. During the existence OF the Con-
verse -Bernadou patents the Latin and
fand Powder Company. The California
Powder Works and the DUPONT Company
have manufactured smokeiess powder and
furnished It TO The Government entirely
irrespective Of the provisions Of these
patents, on the ground that there was
nothing in the patents which would pre-
vent such manufacture. This course was
at no time objected to by the owners OF
the Converse -Bernadou patents
Converse -Bunadon Patents Not Used.
Stock of the International smokeless
Powder Company was purchased by the
DUPONT Company in 1904, and the owner
ship Of the Converse -Bernadou patents
was thus acquired by the DUPONT Com
pany. Since that time the DUPONT Com
pany has continued to furnish smokeless
powder to the Army and Navy Depart
ments. but the specifications under which
this powder has been furnished have been
such that the product has been very DIFF
ferent from that described in the Con-
verse -Bernadou patents. For this reason
all the criticism Of the dupont Company
alleging that it has a monopoly OF tho
smolSeless powder business of the United
States Government because Of its owner
ship of the Converse -Bernadou patents
has and can have absolutely no founda-
ton.
In regard to furnishing information TO
foreign governments about the formula
and secret processes employed In the
I
United States Government, it is sufficient
to say that so far as the Converse-Ber-
nadou patents are concerned they are on
public record and that product manu-
featured under them cannot be protected
by secrecy. It has been stated that Mr..
Watts at one time President of the In
ternational snokeless Powder Company,
wrote a letter to some OF the foreign gov
| ernments offering 10 give them the FORM
ula used In the manufacture Of powder for
| the United States Government. Mr.. Watts
is now dead. and 1t is impossible TO give
the circumstances attending the sender Of
| that letter Undoubtedly II he were alive
! he could satisfactorily explain them. 1t
is enough 10 say that the letter was writ
/ ten at a time when the DUPONT Company
had absolutely no connection, rs a stock
/ holder, or otherwise. with the lnterna-
tional smokeless Powder Company, nor
did anyone interested in the dupont Com
pany or in any company with which IL
was associated, have any relations with
that corporation.
There are patents owned by the du-
Pont Company which have been the re-
! suit of experiments made at their own
works and to which the Government can
have no possible claim, which In a mea-
sure facilitate the manufacture Of smoke
less powder, and result In economies.
! These patents might be a handicap TO
! certain extent upon a new company which
/ desired to go into this business, but there
is no patent, so far as the DUPONT Com
pany Is informed. which covers the pro-
duct as such and which would prevent its
production by anyone with sufficient skill
and capital
dupont Company Assisted Government.
A smokeless powder plant was erected
at Indian Head in 1899 by the U. S. Gov
ornment, and instead of opposing the erec-
ton of that plant, the DUPONT Company
assisted the officers Of the United States
in every possible way. furnishing them
much valuable information In the way
OF blue prints and gave them the results
Of their experience in the business, and
did everything possible to make the ven
ture success from the standpoint OF the
Government. The same attitude was as
sumed by the DUPONT Company in regard
70 the appropriation made by the last
Congress for the erection of g. smokeless
powder plant. and the company not only
offered to furnish, but has furnished the
proper departments of the United States
Government with plans and blue prints to
facilitate that work.
There has been some comment in the
papers, and also in Congress, in regard
TO the relations OF the DUPONT Company
TO a smokeless powder plant in process OF
erection by the Government Of Brazil. This
in no way involves any secret processes OF
methods which are employed by tho
United States. or in the manufacture OF
its p,<vder, the dupont Company brought
its plans to the attention of the proper
department Of the United States Govern
ment. and with the qualifications above
mentioned no objectic.i upon the part OF
the Executive Department Of our Govern
ment was made to the dupont Company
undertaking the business.
Not Enormous Profits in Business.
In regard to the price which is and has
been charged the Government for smoke
less powder which has been furnished by
The dupont Companies. It has been stated
that this business shows a profit of 1O'
per cent. TO the DUPONT Company. and
that on account Of these profits that com.
pany has been enabled 10 sell commercial
explosives at or below cost to such an
extent as to render it impossible for in
dependent companies to compete in certaii
commercial fields.
In TINS regard 1t was shown in recent