Show Washington Roand Mica Industry Draws Draws' Quiz As Monopoly By Drew Pearson V WASHINGTON Not Not ASHINGTON-Not Not I Jon long o n g gago gago ago the justice department br brought an an anant a ant antitrust n t I i t r u s st t t suit against two members of or the British house of at lords and one one of Britain's biggest companies Chemical Industries Now the justice department is investigating another British group of companies in tn connection connection connection tion with an alleged monopoly of ofa ofa ofa a vital war material material mica Most people dont don't realize it but today mica probably is the them m most important single material material material- in the entire war Without it there would be no radar nora n no radio ra ra radio dio no electric gun controls and no detector devices Yet there arc are arc indications that the U U. S S. S government has al allowed allowed allowed al- al lowed itself to be restricted in inthe inthe inthe the production and importation of mica by a British trust The trust has be been n operating right under the noses nose of American of What the justice department is interested in is why production production production tion of mica is low and whether monopoly tactics are to blame Today despite the vital role mica plays in the war we are forced forred to use paper dielectric devices devices devices de de- de- de vices as a n. substitute for mica This is not satisfactory and General Electric has spent trying trying trying-to to find a better substitute substitute sub sub- without success In get out from under the British control of f mica the war production board some time ago urged the production of ot mica in the United States To this end Jesse Jones set up a special subsidiary of his Metals Reserve company called the Colonial Mica corporation However it doesn't look as if it ithe he had d done ne much about escaping escaping escaping ing the British control The justice department finds that the man Jones has placed in charge is George A. A Purcell j who in private life Ufe used to head i a mica company known as Colonial Colonial Colonial Colo Colo- nial Mica company Now he is running for Jesse Jones the Colonial Mica corporation Furthermore Furthermore Fur Fur- it is considered significant significant significant sig sig- sig- sig that Purcell was recommended recommended recommended mended for this job by Howard C. C Sykes who Is intimately connected connected connected con con- with the British mica interests in interests interests in- in and heads one jone company affiliated with the British group Significant also is the fact that Purcell Is a neighbor of ot another another another an an- other big British mica official Purcell lives at 21 Collins avenue avenue avenue ave ave- nue Bloomfield N. N J. J next door to J J. J P. P French vice president of Eugene Munsell Co Col which is part of the British trust Sykes who put Purcell in his job is c connected with Munsell Co Th Thus s Purcell who runs U. U S S. S mica operations for Jesse Jones Jones could could lea lean out of his window window window win win- dow and discuss mica prices and production with his next-door next neighbor an official of the British British British Brit Brit- ish group One thing the Justice department department department depart depart- ment is interested in in addition addition addition addi addi- tion to t the c 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 world's best However the bureau of standards standards standards stand stand- ards after testing samples from rom various parts of the he world has failed to find any difference between between between be be- tween foreign and nd domestic mica India and the U USA S A are the worlds world's only important producing producing producing pro pro- countries but the product prod prod- m from India has so so 50 completely dominated world markets that the United States supplies less than 20 per cent of its own re re- re A full tull chart of the British mica trust looks like a a pyramid similar to the international chemical industry At the top stands the British Associated Electrical institute under which comes Associated Insulating Products company which In turn controls Chrestien Mining Company Company Company Com Com- pany Ltd of India and F F. F F F. Chrestien Co also of India Then there are the Mica Insulator Insulator lator company of which Howard Howard Howard How How- ard Sykes former year a m man manin manin n in in Washington is chairman of the board and Munsell Co with which Sykes is also connected connected connected con con- and whose vice president lives next door to Jesse Jones' Jones mica man Purcell The British trust claims that it has competition from the American firm of Blood I A little known fact tact is that Howard Sykes closely closely closely close close- ly allied with the British combine combine com com- bine Is a s the son son of Alice Adele by her marriage to Walter Sykes In addition to Sykes' Sykes man Purcell running mica matters for Jesse Jones the Justice de department department department de- de has discovered that an interesting individual is head of the mica section of ot W P B. B He Is Sidney A A. A Montague formerly formerly formerly for for- merly of Huse Liberty company now with As Asheville N. N C. C Mica company Both of these companies com com- panics are controlled by Blood The Justice department re reports reports reports re- re ports that William E. E Blood of ot Blood has boasted boast boast- ed that he controls domestic prod production in the U USA S A and that he even bought a mica mine In order to close it down and curtail curtail curtail cur cur- tail production Cop Copyright 1944 by United Feature Syndicate We VVe have reached the peak of war production so it does not seem likely that the national in income income income in- in come will go any higher Consequently Consequently Consequently Con Con- taxes cannot cannot Representative Harold Knutson of Minnesota |