Evening star., 1942-04-22
Researchers Study
Axis Patents Seized
president s0rder
Roosevelt Says obstocIes
Will Be Brushed Aside
To Permit Use in War
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
Americas war production effori
burst through into new channels
today under the impetus OF a presi-
Dental order seizing all enemy
owed or controlled patents-in-
cluding German patents on the
manufacture OF synthetic rubber and
fuels.
President Roosevelt announced
the seizure order yesterday at .
press conference sandwiched In be-
tween a series OF war councils with
representatives OF the United
Nations.
The announcement, coming In the
midst OF congressional inveStiga-
ton OF international patent pools,
was hailed by members of the in
vestigating committee who said they
might broaden proposed legislation
10 give the Government greater
control over patents.
"A very salutary and necessary
step" said Senator Pepper, Demo-
crat, OF Florida, a member OF the
committee.
Obstacles Brushed Aside.
Mr.. Roosevelt, invoking his war
time emergency powers, said legal
and technical obstacles would be
brushed aside and the several thou
sand patents controlled by Axis ma
tons would be explored and de-
veloped for whatever use they may
be TO America at war.
The first consideration, he de-
slareo. was TO win.
And when the war is over. he
went on, the patents will not be
permitted TO revert to alien hands,
as they did after the first World
War.
Leo T. Crowley, alien property
custodian. disclosed that the Presi-
dents orders already are being car
ried out-that researchers even now
are studying forbidden proc
esses for making artificial rubber,
fuels. foods and fabrics as well as
all kinds Of drugs, biologicals, elec-
trical equipment and Diesel engines.
Made Available TO All.
Among these, he said, are rubber
and gasoline patents held by I. @.
Farbenindustrie, the notorious Ger
man dye trust.
The seized patents, including those
technically held in pools by Ameri-
cans, viii be made available to all
the United Nations, Mr.. Roosevelt
said.
Harry L. Hopkins, the Presidents
war supply adviser, gave the Chief
Executive what one informant de-
scribed as an Interesting and en-
couraging" report on his recent visit
to Great Britain.
Other White House callers in the
Pacific War Council included DR.. r.
v. Soong, Chinese Foreign Minister,
who told reporters as he left that
we are progressing" and Leighton
Mccarthy, Canadian Minister, who
said II think we all agree we are
getting places"
The Senate Patents Committee,
meanwhile, summoned Thurman
Arnold, Assistant Attorney General
in charge of antitrust matters, back
for an explanation of numerous con-
sent DEGREES in antitrust cases.
Can't Understand Theory.
II can't understand the theory of
these consent DEGREES in antitrust
cases." Chairman Bone commented
Senator Bone said the presidential
order directing the alien property
custodian to seize all patents from
enemy aliens, including those in
international cartels, might cause a
redrafting and broadening of the
wartime patents seizure measure
sponsored by him and Senators
OMahoney, Democrat, of wyoming
and La Toilette, Progressive, of Wis
consin.
One Way Information.
During the day a Philadelphia
manufacturing executive told the
Patents Committee that agreements
with German Arms enabled Ameri-
can interests to obtain valuable
patents and technical information
for making plastic glass substitutes
needed in bombing and pursuit
planes.
S. c. Kelton, secretary of Rohm
q Haas, said:
The story OF plexiglas is a story
Of a one-way flow of information
and the flow was from Germany
10 this country. II we hadn't Sc
cured from German concerns both
the patents and the technical in
formation on manufacture there
wouldn't be an inch of plexiglas in
an American bomber or pursuit
plane today
The German patents were paid for
I'm royalties to the German concerns
on sales made by Rohm & Haas.
Mr.. Kelton said, but the American
company executed its own "freez-
ing order" six months before the
Government banned payments TO
German firms.