The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-05-06
Toluol and Benzol.

The Secretary of the Interior lately ed
! that Dr. Rittman the chemical engineer of the
Bureau of Mines, had discovered new process for
deriving from crude petroleum toluol and benzol,
certain byproducts of petroleum which are neces-
sary elements in the making of anne dyes and
high explosives. These by-products have long been
manufactured in Germany almost exclusively; and
the German processes by which they have been de-
rived have been closely guarded trade secrets Now
it is said that DR.. Rittman has discovered way
o, producing these two commodities from pctro-
lcum that is much cheaper than the German
method and every whit good If this is SO, it
is a discovery OF vast Importance. The textile
trade Of this country is. OF course, dependent to
great extent upon aniline dycstuffs; and months
ago we pointed out in these columns how grievous-
ly the textile industry in our country was dis
turbcd by the Stoppage in the importation of the
dyes Whoever has found a way of making the
country independent of Germany in this regard
has performed great public service. DR.. Ritz
man is very young man and manufacturing chem
lists and others have been skeptcal TO whether
his discovery is valuable he thinks it is. He
submitted his process weeks ago to an in
formal meeting of the country's experts in the
laboratory of Columbia University, New York
City. The consensus there that DR.. Rittman
had undoubtedly succeeded in deriving toluol and
bcnzol in the manner he asserted; but it was held
to be doubtful whether his method was CONNER
cially practicable, that is to say, whether the actual
operation OF the process would not be too costly
to be available in a business sense.
However this may bc-and every one in the
country fcrvcntly hopes that Dr. Rttman's invcn-
ton is all he claims for it-much more interest
attaches for the time being to second announce
mcnt OF the Secretary OF the Interior that the
of M;pc j., 1,
DR.. Rittman is still connected, has entered into a
cooperative arrangement with explosives COM
pany for establishing at Pittsburgh. at a cost OF
not less than 100000. plant for putting DR.. Ritz
mans invention in practical effect The invention
has been patented for tho general use of the pub
lic; but if the process proves effective every manu-
facurcr in the country will naturally want or will
want for very considerable length OF time. to buy
toluol and bcnzol only made by the inventor |
himself made under his supervision. The state |
mcnt that government bureau and private con-
Germ under contract arc to cooperate in manu- |
featuring these commodities certainly represents a
novelty in the conduct OF the government OF the i
United States.
For part doubt very much whether
this method of developing invention "for
the benefit OF the general public is highly dcsir-
able AS far as VIC can sec Dr. Rittnlan is likely
TO employ his time from in developing
his discovery and in directing the mechanism of
The new plant at the expense OF the government
or his benefit and the benefit Of the financial
concern with which lie has become associated. just
low and where is the public to be benefited, If
he government and its employees arc to make CON
racts with private concerns for the exploitation
1f this discovery and invention why may not
he custom extend 10 discoveries and inventions
b,-c lIe ~,
lined to think that the more tho public hears Of
his arrangement the less it will like it; and VIC do
rot think that tho scheme has a prospect of very
one life.