Evening star., 1938-03-02
TEAR GAS SALES
CITED AT INQUIRY
207 Manufacturers Bought
900 of Total "for Labor
War" Official Says.

oUIo OF IOldI Tot LABOR
War;" Official Says.
A Senate Civil Liberties Committee
official said today that the POT leading
to the National Associa-
ton of Manufacturers bought so per
cent Of all the tear gas sold to industry
"for labor warfare" in 1933-1937.
Robert Wohlforth. committee secre-
tary, made that statement shortly
after the opening Of the committees
of the Manufacturers
1t brought John Gall, association
lawyer. to his feet with a reply that
"the association has at no time during
the period covered by this report
U933-l937) suggested to its members
that they use tear gas"
Mr.. Wohlforth also told the COM
mittee some Of the contributors also
were quite prominent in the employ
ment Of detective agencies" He listed
the General Motors Corp, the Chrys-
Ter Corp. the Pennsylvania Railroad,
Congoleum- -Nairn. Inc. and Laclede
Gas OF st. Louis In this connection.
Cites Contributions.
Some officers and directors of some
OF the contributing companies, Mr.
Wohlforth said. also had contributed
to the American Liberty League, the
the Sentinels Of America,
the National Economy League, the
Farmers independence Council and
the Johnstown (Pa) Citizens Com
mittee.
Boosted principally by large con-
tributions for its public information"
program, the income Of the N. A. M.
has risen gradually from $240, 300 in
1888 to 81, l,439,548 in 1887. it was dis
closed before the committee.
The income statistics were included
In maze OF data and numerous charts
by which the committee demonstrated
that the POT companies, or about S
per cent Of its membership. are in
a position to formulate and ef1ectuate
the policies Of the association"
As the hearing opened, Chairman La
Toilette. Progressive, OF Wisconsin de-
clined to allow the witnesses, Walter
B. Weisenburger. executive vice presi-
dent, and Noel Sargent. secretary, to
read into the record long, prepared
statement on operation Of the associa-
ton.
Amplifying Statement.
Concentrating on its own exhibits as
prepared from material furnished by
the association. the committee placed
in the record an amplifying statement
that the trade organization
Is controlled primarily by the larger
The committee exhibit follows, in
part:
Among the corporations that have
retained directorships for five years
are the American Rolling Mill Co. of
Ohio; the General Mills.
Inc, Of Minneapolis. the Interna-
tional Business Machines Co. Of New
York. the American Cyanamid a.
Chemical Co. Of New York, the Lam
bert Pharmacal Co. OF st. Louis,
Standard OIL Co. Of Ohio and the
Eastman Kodak Co. of Rochester,
Ny.
Some of the largest contributors
for the five-year period O933-1s37)
included:
"E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co.
contributed $116,s00 General Mo-
tors gave $65,295.
In the oil business. the constituent
companies of the old Standard OH
$76,800. The Texas Co.
gave $26,500 and the Sun Co. $l8,500
In the automobile business Chrys-
Ter gave $35,400 and Borg-Warner
$27,l41.67.
Leads List With S22,70o.
In the non-ferrous group the Amer
Ican Smelling e. Refining Co. leads
the list with s22,700.
I'm the food line Swift Il Co. leads
with slS,950.
I'm steel the list is led by the
United States Steel Corp. with s37, 500:
National Steel Corp. s42.050; Bethle-
hem Steel, $29.250, and Republic
Steel, s24,55O.
"The electrical manufacturing in
dustry Is led by the Westinghouse
Electric Of Pittsburgh with $39, 1897 so:
glass by the Pittsburgh Plate Glass
Co, Of Pittsburgh with $4,000. and
the business machine industry is led
by Remington Rand, Inc, with
$l3,750.."
Despite objection from association
witnesses and admission by Commit
tee Secretary Robert Wohlforth that
there was no established connection,
the committee exhibit charged that
the association lis closely connected
with the National Metal Trades As
which this committee has
investigated. It is interest,"
Ing to note that ~ A. A. M. members
we're active in the N. M. T. A. during
the five-year period, or some time dur
Ing it.
Tear Gas Purchases.
"It is also interesting to note that
approximately so per cent of the tear
gas purchased by all industrial firms
in the United States during the period
for labor warfare was purchased by
these 207 companies. The total sales
Of tear gas to industrial companies
was ascertained by the committee to
equal approximately $500,000 for the
period.
The total purchases of tear gas by
the companies listed equal $296, ,53l. 80.
This includes As companies. Similarly,