Evening star., 1942-03-31
'Fdrish Insists
Rubber Cartel
Helped U. 5.
Standard Oil Head
Says Work in Many
War Lines Were Aided

w. S. Parish. president Of the
Standard Oil Co. New Jersey,
today denied categorically to the
Senate Defense Investigating
Committee that Standard,
through a cartel arrangement
with 1. G. Farbenindustrie, the
German dye trust, had delayed"
retarded" or "stif1ed" the de-
velopment of synthetic rubber in
this country.
The facts and the record" he
told the committee, ARE exactly to
the contrary"
Answering charges made before
the committee last week by Assist
ant Attorney General Thurman Ar
mold, the Standard Oil president, In
lengthy prepared statement, said
that any charges that the Standard
Oil Co. or any of its officers had
been in the slightest respect dis
loyal to the United States is un-
warranted and untrue"
Il repel all such insinuations with
all the vigor at my command I do
so with Indignation and resentment.
Called Advantage to Nation.
Moreover. l wish 10 assert with
conviction that whether the several
contracts made with the !. G.. did
or did not fall within the borders
set by the patent statutes or the
Sherman Act. they did inure greatly
to the advance of American industry
and more than any other one thing
have made possible our present war
activities in aviation gasoline. toluol
and explosives and in synthetic rub
Der itself"
Mr.. Parish said that his company
had sought as early as January 1889,
to interest this Government in the
development of synthetic rubber to
guard against the eventuality of
war that would cut off supplies.
This began eight months before
the war started and nearly three
years before Pearl Harbor," he
added.
When asked if any Standard Oil
employees were here as dollar-s-year
men, Mr.. Parish digressed from his
statement TO warn that the Govern
ment will lose the war without the
services of the dollar-a-year ex-
ecutives.
The only alternative for getting
their vital services. he said, vas to
take away all private rights ard put
them in the Army or Navy. Without
them. he said, your production will
fall and your war effort will fail"
Enters Specific Denials.
Mr.. Parish entered specific denial
also to charges as follows:
That as late as 1899 Standard
was engaged in an effort to estat-
lish relations with Japan contrary
10 the interests of the United States
and without the knowledge Of our
Government: that after the fall Of
France. Standard assisted German
interests to establish hydrogenatlon
plants in occupied France. or that
Standard made shipments to Italian
and German airlines in Brazil, con-
trary to the wishes Of the State De-
partment" He declared these
charges untrue and "unfounded.'
His discussion of the delivery of
aviation gasoline to an Italian air.
line in Brazil in lo4l brought about
an extended exchange with Hugh
Fulton, committee counsel, who
sought to determine what State De-
partment official had sanctioned the
transaction-the witness saving 1t
had the approval Of both the de-
partment and the American En-
bassy in Rio de Janeiro. The wit
ness said the letter of approval is
available for confidential exan1i-
nation by the committee"
Says Appreciation Was Given.
Referring to the Governments ef-
forts to build up good will in the
Latin countries. he said the State
Departments letter expressed its
appreciation of the steps taken by
the company to control supplies and
deliveries of aviation gasoline to
airlines in the other American re-
publics.
The department stated that IL
had been gratified at our readiness
to work toward the departments OBJ
jectives in cooperate with the
Government"
Planned Hamburg Plant.
He acknowledged that D. A. P G.,
a Standard subsidiary. planned in
1888 or 1899 to erect at Hamburg,
Germany. plant for producing
aviation gasoline.
LAS a German corporation. oper-
ating in Germany with which
country we were not then at war;"
Mr.. Parish said. "it could not have
done otherwise"
Mr.. Parish also told the commit
tee that in July. l94l. Standard Oil
received from I. G. Farben an offer
OF s24 900 900 in gold, to be delivered
at Lisbon, for its Hungarian prop
critics.
Under advice from the State De-
tSee RUBBER, Page A-60