New-York tribune., 1922-02-25
Harding Delays
German treaty
To Foster Dyes
Agreement on Patents Said
10 Have Given Late Enc-
mics Control Of All For
mulas 20 Exclusion Of L. s.
Industry Here Mcnaccd
Chemical Plants That Might
Add 10 National Safety
Doomed by Pact, Charge
By Carter Field

BY Carter Field
WASHINGTON. Fob o. As the re
suit Of representations that tho revival
of the patents treaty with Germany
would result practically in multiplying
tho present embargo on German dye
stufs. and in tho destruction Of the
American chcmica industry born as n
result Of the war, President Harding
has decided TO hold up action ON the
treaty until he can obtain more light.
1t was made known at TIC White
House to-day that tho President, de
spite the fact that only last Tuesday
he asked the consent Of the Senate
step which he was not required By
law to take 70 revive this patent
treaty, had decided to hold up the re-
vival until after tho present inVcstlga
ton of tho dyc situation by special
committee Of the Serate has been con
cludcG.
This delay. it was said al the White
House, cannot extend longer than May
H. as the revival OF the treaty must
be within SIX months folioNing the
exchange Of ratihcations Of tho treaty
Of peace, which Was November II. Il
no action with regard to reviving the
treaty is taken before May /, it would
then be necessary for nov treaty 10
b. negotiated.
Seeks Dye Rcparation,
President Harding also suggested to
Gay that some action should be taken
by Congress- to permit tho United
States to get its share Of the dye
which Germany is Obliged to Civ the
Allies under the terms OF the Versailles
treaty. This suggc stion was made IN
letter to Senator Frclinghuyscn. of New
Jersey.
The surprising feature Of to-day's
decision at the White House is that
neither in the Foreign Relations Com
mittce nor in the Senate this week,
when the resolution authorizing. the
President to revive this treaty was
under cons dcration, was there any
mention Of the objections to tho treaty.
The glst Of objections. the Tribune
correspondent learned to-day, is that
the German dye interests have been
quietly taking out patents on chemical
formulas ard products to such an eN-
tent, it is claimed. that the now Amer
lean chemical industry would be VIZ
tually paralyzed if these patents
should De made effective by the revival
of this patents treaty With Germany,
It is further represented to the
President that the German chemical
interests. in taking out these patents,
have assigned them to German firms,
and that the obvious intention is not
10 make use Of them in the United
States. hat merely to prevent Amerl-
can nemicai ard dye concerns from
dom. 20. with the result that the ola
prc-wsr condition of absolute de
pendencc on the German dye and
chemical manufacturers Will be re
stored.
Cite Defcnsc Needs
Secretary OF War Weeks and Briga-
der General Fries, of the Chemical
Warfare Service. have been particular
ly interested, it is learned, because OF
the national defense angle of the sit
uation as the German patents cover
the poison gases, and, perhaps even
more important because the net re
suit would be 10 prevent the opera
ton OF factories which could readily,
in the event OF war, be transformed
into manufactures OF poison gas. This
interest is not entirely stifled because
Of the recent agreement on poison
gases reached by the armament lin,ita-
tion conference. IS It is held that this
country could perhaps contribute more
TO the abolition of the use OF poison
gas in war by being IN a position to
use it quickly if any enemy should
start the thing first.
An argument which was potent in
leading President Harding to advocate
the dye embargo shortly after his in
auguratioN. also. was that the chcmi-
cal research and experiment which al
ways accompany manufactures in
this line would lead TO new inventions
by Americans, and progress by Ameri
can industry,
The Presidents letter to Senator
Frelinghuysen, suggesting that Con-
gressional action is necessary if this
country is TO receive any part of the
German roparations dyes, or any
credit for its share Of them is as fol
lows:
AT the uent my best Judgment
IS that we viii get no effective ar
rangemcnt made except through
resolution by Congress- quite agree
that we ought to get the benefit OF
t such reparation credit as might come
to us through the German export Of
dyes to this country, through the
rcparation commi ssion. and we ought
to protect our textile manufacturers
against the grant of undue advantage
10 their competitors in the Old World.
1t would be easy to do this if Congress
had not ted the hands Of the Admins-
traton in dealing with the Reparato ons
Commission. I am writing to suggest
that you confer with some of your as
socia-es regarding resolution which
will deal with the dye question
definitely and dircctly'
HI