The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-01-25

49,
biggest companies, Imperial
investigating another Britt
monopoly of a vital war n
Most people don't realize it, but
today mica probably is the most
important single material of the
entire war. Without it there
would be no radar, no radio, no
electric gun controls and no de-
tector devices.
Yet there are indications that
the U. S. Government has al
lowed itself to be restricted in the
production and importation of
mica by a British trust. The
trust has been operating right
under the noses of American Of
ficials.
What the Justice Department
Is interested in is why prOduc-
ton of mica is low, and whether
monopoly tactics are to blame.
Today, despite the vital role
mica plays in the war, we are
forced to use paper dielectric de-
vices as substitute for mica.
This is not satisfactory, and Gen.
eral Electric has spent 100000
trying to find a better substitute,
without success.
In order to get out from under
the British control of mica, the
War Production Board some time
ago urged the production of mica
in the United States. To this END,
Jesse Jones set up a special sub
sidiary of his Metals Reserve
Company, called the Colonial Mica
Corporation.
BRITISH CONNECTIONS
However, it doesn't look as if he
had done much about escaping the
British control. The justice De
partment finds that the man
Jones has placed in charge Is
George A. Purcell, who in private
life used to head a mica COM
pany known as Colonial Mica
company. Now he is running,
for Jesse Jones, the Colonial
Mica Corporation. Furthermore,
it Is considered significant that
Purcell was recommended for this
Jesse Jones job by Howard c.
Sykes, who is intimately connect
ed with the British mica inter-
ests and heads one company af-
filiated with the British group.
Significant also is the fact
hn &c nsnIN nG
other big British mica official.
Purcell lives at 81 Collins ave-
nut, Bloomfield, N. j., next door
to J. p. French, vice president
Of Eugene Munsen e. Co., which
is part Of the British trust.
sykes, who put Purcell in his
job, is connected with Munsell
g. Company. Thus, Purcell,
who runs U. s. mica operations
for Jesse Jones, could lean out
Of his window and discuss mica
prices and production with his
next door neighbor, an official
Of the British group.
One thing the Justice Depart
Ment Is interested in, in addition
to the urgent war needs of mica,
is domestic production after the
war. The British trust long has
built up the myth that its mica
obtained from India) Is the
worlds best. just as the British
formerly sold the idea that Shelf
field was the worlds best quality
of cutlery steel.
However, the Bureau of Stand
ards, after testing samples from
various parts of the world, has
failed to find any difference be-
tween foreign and domestic mica.
India and the U. S. A. are the
worlds only important producing
countries, but the product from
India has so completely domin-
ated world markets that the
United States supplies less than
20 per cent of its own require
mentS.
This became subject Of
alarm during the last war, and
the Tariff Commission subSe-
quently reported: Control Of
supplies by London was clearly
manifest during the last war and
was exercised to the fullest ex-
tent through the British Min
istry of Munitions. The total
world supply, rigidly controlled
from London, proved just suffi-
cient during the war for the
needs Of all countries except
Germany and its allies"
Today, Justice Department Of
ficials are investigating to see
Whether the British, together with