Evening star., 1922-07-19
All Of the Dye Facts Should Be
Revealed.

President Harding's action in or
dering a grand jury investigation of
the entire transaction which resulted
in the turning over to the Chemical
Foundation of the German dye
patents seized by the alien property
custodian during the war is indorsed
by newspapers generally without re-
gard to political afiliations. They
insist that there is cloud, ON the
title that must be removed and that
questions of politics cannot be per-
mitted to enter into the case in any
way whatever. II the transaction
was all right, the papers say, then
no harm can come from an investi-
cation, while, if 1t was improper,
those responsible should be held ac-
countable and the rights Of the
American people should be protected:
Undoubtedly there was logic. and
the development Of great Amer
ican dye industry was. in effect. the
development of a new, and vital arm
OF national defense" says the Balti-
more Sun (democratic). for chem
ical warfare may be- the e. decis,te ns;sa,e
interests to justify an indefensible
economic proposition on the score of
national defense always means the
raising of eyebrows on the part OF
the cynics Now that the Harding
administration has placed the Chem
entire dye Issue probably will be
placed before the public without the
smoke screen of propaganda that has
hitherto obscured it.P One result is
that "a beautiful row may be brew
ing" the wichita Eagle dndepend-
entj believes. as there is politics In
II. but there may be genuine scandal
in it, too One hopes that Mr.. Hard
ing and his associates may have the
courage to go through with this, no
that may try to stop the procedure"
The Knoxville Sentinel Independent
democratic1 -unQualif1edly indorses
this thought. stating that I'VE know
nothing Of this particular case, but
II Mr.. Garvan and, his associates, or
- the persons to whom they convey
ed the public property in the patent
tights concerned were guilty Of graft
and corruption. they should be ex-
nosed and punished and restitution
made of the public, properly. II II Is
pr ali Of them are democrats has
nothing to do with the matter. When
- comes to dealing with criminals
there Is no such thing as politics In
the eyes Of right. minded people cop nr,
VI
t.ction Of the American people. in
~ view of the Mobile Register
fdemocratic), which sets forth that
"the real question is whether the
owners of the patents came by them
honestly. II they did not, they should
~ ~. euti value. II they did. 1t is now:
necessary nee to establish. that fact also"
r. should also be understood, as the
Newark. News tindependent) points
ont. that most OF these patents were
taken out by the G6fmans not 70 de-
velop them here. .;I nut natents 20 ntsp on % the
ssne chemical processes ana compet.
in1 here with the German chemical
ana dve industry. Our own patent
law was thus used against Us 70 keep
the Germans supreme IN the neia. Nor-
r.vocabie. because the rights granted
Nv this government have been
TsSn.ed" ~ The American Economist
1rsnubiican) asserts that Few realize
how washington has been surround
ed and honeycombed oy insloious IN.
nrenn nren we feared that its represent
stivas were getting too strong Tor
Cnnrress and too strong Tor the 40
ministration. but this action OF Presi-
dent Harding will give ~ the test
and we will have anotner tesI IN ane
vote in the United states senate our-
ing the next few days.
The initial transaction may have,
been .psrfeotly clean. the New or orlesns a
item independently sugsssss, pu! we
Transaction could possibly be as de-.
sirabie. from a public point Of yiew,
as It's oficial undertakssrs describe s,; II
vats nossibiiities, on the other hand.
srs sr OBVIOUS Rvi enough. Just why they
should be: sold to anybody BY the
government for. . quarter OF one mil
lion dollars seems unintelligfbie to US.
mica the purchaser were pufe and
snnroved. phNanthropist manufactur-
Ing for the Apsrican people, at cost
1rsf 10 observe, does not nnanifest IT
seifs among the American dye inter.
ests. we recall heavy schedule Of
tariRs in the pending bill for the
nrot1cttor Of American dyemAkers
sSairiSf Nofsign competition. The 3D.
Hinif6kH ton 46oreovsfs gives what