O D M Revises Expansion Goals Ten chemical goals added to agency's open list

as mobilization studies show potential shortages

spread industrial participation gets un­der way. Flexibility is necessary in atomic legislation to encourage the greatest possible progress.

When can we expect economic in­dustrial power from atomic energy? The President ventures a guess:

"Today, it is clearly in sight—largely a matter of further research and de­velopment, and the establishment of conditions in which the spirit of enter­prise can flourish."

Protection ©f Information. Clarify­ing present rules regarding "restricted data" would aid private participation in the atomic program, Eisenhower as­serts. Virtually all atomic energy in­formation which has security signifi­cance is now placed in the restricted category. Degrees of importance, how­ever, are not recognized unde r the cur­rent setup and the same clearance re­quirements apply to any type of re­stricted data. Thus , a n apprentice plumber on an AEC construction proj­ect would be cleared in the same way as a chemical engineer who has access to vital weapons information.

Private participants will require ac­cess to restricted data on reactor tech­nology, it is pointed out. But full in­vestigations of all employees connected with the project is not warranted, be­cause much of the data is not signifi­cant from a security standpoint. Such investigations, in addition, might dis­courage or impede the desired partici­pation.

Therefore, the President recom­mends that the AEG be permitted to judge the significance of the restricted information. The required investiga­tions would then be geared to the im­portance of the data. Access to more critical data would still require full in­vestigations.

Another security problem concerns AEC contractors on one hand and De­fense Depar tment agencies and their contractors on the other. At present, the AEC may disclose restricted data to Depar tment of Defense personnel or contractors w h o have been cleared for security by the department. AEC con­tractors, however, could not give the same information to the same people until they secured additional security clearance from the commission.

Since atomic weapons are becoming increasingly important in military op­erations, Eisenhower states that better communication is necessary between AEC contractors and their opposite numbers in the Defense Department . To accomplish this, he proposes that AEC contractors be authorized to make restricted da ta available to Defense personnel or contractors. T h e recipi­ents would be restricted to those who need such da ta in their work and who possess the proper military security clearances.

/-pAKiNG a second look at 49 expansion -*- goals suspended on Dec. 3, 1953,

the Office of Defense Mobilization found some potential deficiencies in productive capacity and supply re­quired for national defense. The re­sult: 17 goals were transferred back to the open list, while 29 were placed on the closed list and three were held in suspension pending further s tudy.

Of the 17 goals reopened, ten could be classed as chemical and related products (see table below). In addi­tion, three of the chemical goals have been revised upward.

The domestic nitrogen production goal was set at an annual capacity of 3.5 million short tons of contained ni­trogen. Target date: Jan. 1, 1957.

The nitrogen goal includes all forms,

EXPANSION GOALS FOR CHEMICAL AND RELATED PRODUCTS

OPEN

Alkylate Alumina Aluminum, primary Antimony Asbestos Barite Bauxite Beryl Chromite ( chemical grade ) Chromite ( metallurgical grade ) Chromite ( refractory grade ) Coal, Territory of Alaska0

Coal, metallurgical for by-product coke Cobalt Coke-by-product Columbite and Tantalite ores Copper Cryolite ( synthetic ) Cylinders, compressed gas Electrolytic tin plate Fluorspar, acid grade Formaldehyde ° Glycerine0

Iron ore

Iron ore ( taconite ) Laboratories, research and development Lead Lithium compound0

Manganese ore, battery and chemical grades Manganese ore, metallurgical grade Medical supplies & equipment 0

Mercury Methanol synthetic0

Military photographic equipment (motion & still )

Molybdenum Nickel Nitrogen0

Oil (crude) refining capacity (domestic) Pentaery thritol ° Portland cement0

Rare earths Rutile Selenium Titanium Titanium Toluene 0

Tungsten ore Zinc

melting facilities metal

SUSPENDED

Electric power Hydrofluoric acid Photographic film and paper

C L O S E D

Abrasive products0

Acetic acid Acetone Adipic acid Adiponitrile Aniline Anthxaquinone vat dyes ( single strength basis ) Argon Benzene 0

Benzene hexachloride (lindane) 9 9 % or more gamma isomer content

Benzene hexachloride ( technical grade ) Butadiene Calcium carbide Carbon, activated (water purification and

decolorizing grade ) Carbon black Carbon electrodes0

Carbon tetrachloride Chemical manufacturing machinery Chlorine Cyclohexane D D T Ethylchloride Ethylene glycol Ethylene oxide Ethylene dibromide Ferro-alloys, blast furnace (ferro-manganese,

silico-manganese, spiegeleisen and silvery pig iron)

Fibrous glass, continuous filament Fibrous glass, superfine Filter aids-calcined diatomite Glass tubing (lead and soda l ime) Graphite, artificial Heat exchangers, tubular Hexamethylenediamine Hexamethylenetetramine0

Hydrogen peroxide Industrial ethyl alcohol Iron oxide, yellow (synthetic) Ketone, methyl ethyl

Ketone, methyl isobutyl Limestone and dolomite Lubricating oil Magnesium Maieic anhydride Materials handling equipment Methyl chloride Methylene chloride Naphthalene Newsprint Octyl alcohols Oil ( crude ) refining capacity ( foreign ) Oxygen, high-purity Paper Penicillin0

Perchlorethylene Phenol Phosphate rock Phosphatic fertilizers Phosphatic feed supplements Phosphorus, elemental0

Phthalic anhydride Plastics materials Potash Quinoline Resorcinol Rubber and rubber products Sebacic acid Soda ash Sodium bichromate0

Sodium chlorate0

Sodium cyanide Styrene, monomer ( including methyl

styrènes ) Sulfuric acid° Sulfur Synthetic fibers, non-cellulose Tape, acetate Tetraethyl lead Titanium dioxide pigment Trichlorethylene

' Goal transferred from suspended list

V O L U M E 3 2 N O . 9 » » » » M A R C H 1 1 9 5 8 2 1

GOVERNMENT.

such as synthetic ammonia, by-prod­uct ammonia, and nitraphosphates. The revision represents an expansion of more than 1.8 million short tons over the capacity of the industry in 1950. I t also calls for production of 570,000 short tons over the goal established earlier.

Production goals for Portland cement were hiked by 4 .5 million barrels to meet deficits in the Southern Cali­fornia and Michigan areas. The ex­panded production, which is scheduled for this year, is in addition to the total national supply of about 261 barrels estimated for 1953.

ODM increased the medical supplies and equipment goal by $10 million. Proposed expansion would cover spe­cialized needs arising from military and civilian mobilization requirements. The Commerce Department, which ad­ministers this goal, will determine the products for which mobilization needs require expansion.

In addition to the revisions, ODM a d d e d five new expansion goals to its open list. They are facilities for tita­nium melting, ports, inland waterway terminals, airports, and motor truck terminals.

In another action, ODM amended two regulations governing certificates of necessity. One change eliminates the so-called predetermination requirement whicli assured eligibility for a certifi­cate even if construction was begun before trie certificate was granted. Principal purpose of this requirement was to assure proper usage of scarce materials. Eased materials situation makes the regulation no longer neces­sary.

Second change is an aid to taxpayers who expanded facilities after an exoan-sion goal had heen closed, but which was subsequently reopened. If a goal is reopened, the taxpayer now will be permitted to file an application on the expanded plant with ODM within 30 days after the goal is reopened. Both regulations are already effective.

Senate Approves Beeson As Labor Board Member

By a slim margin of three votes, the Senate confirmed the nomination of Food Machinery and Chemicars Albert C . Beeson to the National Labor Rela­tions Board (C&EN, Feb. 15, page 598) . The roll call vote showed 45 in favor, including three Democrats, and 4 2 opposed.

Confirmation was held u p for several weeks while the Senate Labor Com­mit tee debated Beeson's fitness for the post. Opponents charged the labor re­

lations official had an agreement to re­turn to Food Machinery after his NLRB term expires on Dec. 16, 1954.

Beeson's approval brings the five-man board to full membership and pro­vides a majority of Republican ap­pointees. Guy Farmer, chairman, and Philip Rodgers were named by Presi­dent Eisenhower. The other members were appointed to the board during the Truman Administration.

The NLRB will have a key role in carrying out the Administration's labor policies. The board administers and in­terprets the Taft-Hartley Act, which Eisenhower feels should be revised. The most controversial Act revision calls for government supervision of strike votes.

The House Labor Committee began voting on the proposed amendments last week. Action on the entire labor program is expected to require several weeks.

• Biochemists are needed to fill imme­diate vacancies in Veterans Administra­tion hospitals throughout the country. Salaries range from $4205 to $7040 per year. Interested parties contact nearest VA center.

• Butter to Russia export application was formally denied to an American exporter by Secretary of Commerce Weeks.

• Industrial Defense Committee is an all government agency group estab­lished by the Office of Defense Mo­bilization to insure the coordination and effectiveness of federal policies for overcoming an attack on the U. S. In some ways committee replaces now terminated Central Task Force on Post-Attack Industrial Rehabilitation. ODM representative is committee chairman.

• Boric acid and bora tes have been added to the positive list of the Bureau of Foreign Commerce. BFC says action is for security reasons. Exports will require validated licenses for shipment to any destination except Canada.

• Revised Production Allocation Pro­gram of Defense Department will in­form military producer, in advance of mobilization measures, of what, for whom, and how much he is to produce. Designated plants will be able to con­vert quickly, with reduced lead-time, to mobilization production. New program also establishes a preferential planning list of critical items which will be given priority treatment in case of an emer­gency.

• Battery Additive, "Sav-A-Battery" would be prohibited from using what is termed as false and misleading adver­

tising claims by an initial decision of the Federal Trade Commission. Ads claim additive will end recharging and lengthen life of auto batteries.

• Special two-way radio bands for in­dustry use, as applied for by the Com­mittee on Manufacturers Radio Use, have been denied by the Federal Com­munications Commission. Committee petition (C&EN, Jan. 25, page 294) , which sought to establish a special fre­quency allocation known as Manufac­turer's Radio Service, is believed pre­mature by FCC since other work is al­ready under way to take care of indus­trial radio needs.

• British Token Import Plan revisions will b e effective about Mar. 1, says Commerce Department. Plan, estab­lished in 1946, allows token shipments of goods whose importation is pro­hibited by British. Shipments in 1954 must not be over 30% of a firm's ship­ments of these goods to British in the period 1936-38. Firms without prewar trade may now- ship under certain con­ditions.

• Vitamin B12 and folic acid in special dietary foods no longer must bear the statement on the product label that their need in human nutrition has not been established, according to a recent policy statement of the Food and Drug Administration. FDA notes recent sci­entific evidence shows that they are needed in human nutrition.

• Uranium mining claims after Jan. 1, 1953, on certain public lands already leased, usually for oil and gas, under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, may now b e had by a sublease with the Atomic Energy Commission. This al­lows both operators to work a property for the specifically leased minerals. It also allows uranium lease claimants most of the same rights covered by Pub­lic Law 250, 83rd Congress, which es­tablished such joint operation for those filing before Jan. 1, 1953.

• Reserve mobilization programs of the Armed Forces are the subjects of study for a new Department of Defense task force. Task force is to investigate Office of Defense Mobilization's recom­mendations to the President, which noted certain basic reserve problems. Task force report is due April 1, 1954. • Government procurement methods will b e studied by a special task force of the Commission on Organization of the Executive Branch of the Govern­ment (second Hoover Commission). Special consideration will be given to defense buying, standardization and simplification of articles, contract sys­tem, and sound cooperative relations between Government and industry.

822 C H E M I C A L A N D E N G I N E E R I N G N E W S