Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-08-26
Arms Metals
BootIegged, :
MaIIon Says
Official PROBE Planned
fo BleaklTup
By PAUL MALLON

By PAUL MiLLON
WASHINGTON, Aug. 26.-An
" underground black market
has developed IN scarce defense
materials Bootlcggers are maxi
ing something like a national
business ont of Surreptitiously
selling metals particularly alu-
minum, To- small manufacturers
on the verge of going out of
business for want of raw ma
terialS.
Fancy prices. usually double
the fixed limit, are being ex-
tractcd The business has al
ready developed the dark aspects
of prohibition law violations
hind Offices IN large city build
ingS actual melting down of
aluminium IN small stills known
as alley pots and home smelling
Many instances have come up
for investigation 10 the COM
pliancc section al dofcnse head
quarters here in the prioritieS'
division of OPM. An official
exposure to Try to break it up
is in the making.
MOST OF the reported cases
VI conicr> around the metals
manufacturing are a :. paTtlCu-
larry Cleveland, Toledo, New
York.
one small central states
manufactures received letter
advising that he could obtain
aluminium for his business by.
-pnInc- a t11IS1urss- artttrrxS=tn=
New York City. There he was
told he could not be helped but
might Try nearby address. Pro-
cceding 10 the designated place.
he found an unlisted office in a
large building.
Inside. behind desk was
man who did not identify him
self. The man either had. or
pretended 10 have, copies of let
tors in which the manufactures
had sought TO get aluminium al
lowances from a government de-
-paTtU1rUt, n T. T17dHutaCturFT
backed out reported 10 his
counsel, decided not to bite.
4 MOTHER complaint suggests
n an aluminium bootlcgger had
some access 10 the files of a
large aluminium manufacturer.
hut 40 evidence is available in
dicatIng that the bootlegging
trade IS corrupting clerks either
in the government nr large alu-
mlnum concerns. The business
can be worked without that
extra CQSt.---
In composite case. based
on reports So far-tltc trade has
been developed in the following
circumstances:
Small metal dealers MUIR
chased much aluminium, iNn
and steel or copper scrap cM
pccting a price rise. None dc->
Nelopcd. Maximum prices were
fixed. Consequently the only
chance of much profit today lies
outside the official market.
Miniature SmCltcrS have been
put in operation, homemade in
many instances. permitting any
one who knows the business to
produce secondary aluminium,
without much difficulty from
old pots. pans, auto parts. Some
legitimate business is being
done along these lines.
Any ono who has thus OBJ
n tanned the raw material
dogs not ordinarily need to en-
pl6y clerks 10 tell him where
TO sell it, TradeSmen know
that company Y makes alumni
mum toys or cameras, and also
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