Evening star., 1942-08-22
Clash Threatened
AT Stormy Session
OF Patents Hearino
Biddle Aide Challenges
Verocity Of Five
STANDARD Oil Officiols
q, the Associated Press,

STANDARD Oil Offieiols
q. the Associated Press
A Government attorneys ehal-
lenge OF the veracity OF five Of
ficials Of the Standard Oh Co.
of New Jersey precipitated a fiery
scene at a hearing of the Senate
Patents Committee yesterday
which threatened to lead to blows
before the statement was par
TALLY withdrawn.
The committee had heard days Of
hot argument as to whether Stand
ards relations with a German
chemical trust did or did not consti-
tute an international cartel harm
full to American interests.
Robert NJ Hunter, special assist
ant to the Attorney General, stated
that of six witnesses who appeared
for Standard in three days of hear
ings, he would take the word of only
one, E. v. Murphree, vice presi-
dent OF the Standard Oil Develop
ment Co, a subsidiary. He declared
he had heard the others make de
liberate misstatements OF facts"
One of the six, DR.. r. T. Haslam,
l90-pound chemical engineer, strobe
up to the committee table behind
which Mr.. Hunter sat with Chair
man Bone and said he resented that
personally. DR.. Haslam asked that
the attorney withdraw his state
ment, and inquired what his re-
course was If Mr.. Hunter failed to
do So
II know one" DR.. Haslam said.
Asked 70 Withdraw Statement.
Senator Bone gave Mr.. Hunter a
chance to modify his statement and
Senator Clark, Democrat, OF Idaho
asked Mr.. Hunter If he would with
draw it.
Mr.. Hunter proposed to discuss
the testimony with the witness per-
sonally. Senator Bone said he
would delete the colloquy from the
record and the committee recessed
DR.. Haslam, former professor at
Massachusetts Institute of Tech
nology and built like a football
player, Immediately began a discus
sion of the testimony with Mr..
Hunter, who is considerably slighter
in build. AS result of the CONVEX
sation, Mr.. Hunter said he would
withdraw his assertion that "delib-
crate missta tements of fact" had
been made, but said he stood by his
remark that he would take the word
of only one of the six witnesses.
How old are you?" DR.. Haslam
asked.
I'm 54," replied Mr.. Hunter.
That's seven years difference, so
there would be no inequality If we
met outside"
Does that mean you are going to
beat me up?" asked Mr.. Hunter,
Il may" said DR.. Haslam.
Hunter Goes Out
After Mr.. Hunter made some re-
mark about needing a bodyguard,
DR.. Haslam said, You are a college
professor; am an ex-professor. I
don't think you should be 50 In
temperate"
Mr.. Hunter then left the COM
mittee room while DR.. Haslam and
the others remained in conversation
with Senator Bone
Mr. Hunters statement to the
committee was prompted by a
Standard Oil press release which
quoted from testimony by It's presi-
dent, w. S. Parish, that the difficul-
ties of the synthetic rubber problem
had been enormously aggravated
by the widely publicized statements
OF a number of fake experts and no.
toriety seekers who didn't know what
they were talking about"
Mr. Parish had told the committee
that he excluded the representa- tives
of the Attorney General from his
Characterization of fake experts
and notoriety seekers" but Mr..
Hunter said the juxtaposition of his
name to the statement in the press
release would tend to mislead the
public.
Contrasts Explained.
Mr.. Parish earlier had contradict
ed a statement by John r. Jacobs
another special attorney in the anti
trust division, that Standards pat
ent-poollng contracts with Ger
many's / G.. Farbenindustrie had
prevented the American explosives
industry from obtaining necessary
patent licenses to increase war pro-
duction.
"On the contrary" Mr.. Parish
said, the effect was to give to this
country, in advance of the war, al
the knowledge and plant design.
necessary to go ahead with the bes
process for synthetic ammonia
whenever the need arose" The am
monia made for war purposes goe
into explosives.
Creekmore Faith. committee coun
sci, said Atlas and Hercules Pow
der Cos, on applying for the paten
license involved. had been told tn
l. G.. held the patent rights, wherea
oOdlfAdiu lldA tlblC W OilC
Mr.. Parish said that after effort
to get I. G. to act on licenses TO
synthetic ammonia plants prove
fruitless, I'VE took it upon ourselve
to see that the Government was ad
vised, knowing that they had fu
power to cut this legal Gordia
knot" This was done in Angus
194l, he said.
Held Up by Germany"
Did it take Government author
tty to do that, or couldn't you te
the industry to 60 ahead and use tn
patents and you would not prose
cute?" Mr.. Parish was asked
Frank A. Howard. president of tn
development company, said Stand
ard told the powder manufacturer
that the Germans had the licensin