DYE RECIPES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 169, 6 April 1918, Page 6

DYE RECIPES

GERMAN REGRETS CAPTURED BY ENGLISHMEN. A special correspondent of the "Daily Mail" relates a wonderful story of how, after two years' persistent effort., a group of men in the British textile trade has succeeded in bringing to England from Switzerland the secret recipes of the great German dye industry. The importance of this capture needs no emphasis; moreover, the aniline dyo industry is of extraordinary importance because it is a 'key industry," .dominating a large number of other trades; and of vital importance in war. 111 capturing the secrets great risks have been run and thousands of pounds spent. The recipes are those in use in the premier dye factories of Germany, the great Badische works. They numbor in all 257. They are locked lip in the safe keeping of a bank in London. Tho "Daily Mail" adds that Mr. John Leyland, of 103 Wood Street, London, and Mr. Richard Baldry, of 4 Milk Street Buildings, London, are the two men who have been chiefly instrumental in the capture of the recipes. Associated with them are a group of textile merchants like themselves. Mr. John Leyland, describing the manner in which the recipes were discovered and captured, said: "Two years ago I heard a rumour that there was a man in London who could place me. in touch with a chemist, in Swizorland who had in his possession tho recipes for the Badische aniline dyes. I mentioned the matter to my friend Mr. Richard Baldry, and together we decided to follow up the clue. As a result, of our inquiries wo sent a special representative to Switzerland, who soon established relations with the chemist. He reported progress to us, and ultimately the Government allowed us to borrow Mr. F. M. Rowe, M.Sc., of tlie Manchester School of Technology, who has worked in the Badische factories.

"Mr. Kowe wont to Switzerland and saw the Swiss chemist. He made several attempts to secure a laboratory in Switzerland in which tests of the recipos could be made. We then asked tlio Bradford Dyers' Association to name the dye which they considered to ho tiie most difficult to procure and manufacture. They stated that they would be satisfied if Mr. Rowe produced from the recipe of tho Swiss chemist a dye known as Bruntgreen, an apple-green colour. The chemist selected this recipe from the 257 which ho hold, and the work began. As soon as Mr. liowe saw the recipe he declarod that the recipe was useless and that he had been sent to Switzerland on a fool's errand. The chemist asserted that tho recipe was'the one which would produce the apple-green. Mr. Rowo, having first tested each ingredient separately j proceeded with the experiment. To his utter amazement the recipe was correct; and the dye was produced. Specimens of tho dye in all stages of mamifacture are now in London.

Mr. Eowe is now producing the whole range of colours once only obtainable in Germany. Mr. Loyland continued: "We are indebted to tho Foreign Office for placing every facility at our disposal. In fact, without tho aid of the Foreign Office it is doubtful whether we could have got the samples or recipes in England. Our agent was ; dogged by German agents on every journey he made to Switzerland. His baggage was stolen; 1m was dragged and assaulted and thrown into tho gutter. He was followed once by two men as far As Havre. He reported thd facts to the French authorities, and they succeeded in capturing two undoubted German agdiits. On one occasion he was travelling with a diplomat whoso baggago was marked with the same initial as his own. This gentleman's.baggage was also stolen en route. We are prepared to sell the iecipes to the Government for use in Government dyo works and to allow tho major portion of the profit to go to the nation on the understanding that the dyes will be sold freely to all British manufacturers who require them in their industries. There is hardly an industry in England which docs not U6e dyes in ono form or another. They are, of course, essential to tho textilo industries." ,