CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 May 1942, Page 3

CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

INDICTMENT OF AMERICAN CORPORATIONS CHARGES OF WORLD-WIDE CONSPIRACY. EXAMPLE OF INFLUENCE OF CARTELS. (By Telegraoh—Press Association—Copyright) WASHINGTON, May 14. The Department of Justice announced that the Federal Grand Jury has indicted eight corporations and 20 of their officers on a charge of participation in a world-wide conspiracy to monopolise the manufacture and sale of dyestuffs. Five American firms are indicted; they are the du Pont de Nemours Company, the Allied Chemical Dye Corporation, the American Cyanamid Company, the General Aniline and Film Corporation, and the General Dye stuffs Corporation. The two lastmentioned were formerly controlled byLG. Farbenindustrie (the German chemical dye trust). The three other firms are owned and controlled by a Swiss Consortium; they are the Ciba Company (Incorporated), the Sandos Chemical Works (Incorporated), and the Geigy Company (Incorporated.) The indictment named as coconspirators the establishments of Kuhlmann in France, which are at present controlled by LG. Farbenindustrie and Mitsui, of Japan. The assistant Attorney-General, Thurman Arnold, said it was another example of the influence of cartels, which resulted not only in exorbitant prices to the American consumers but also restricted, full development of the chemical industry, which was essential to the wax' effort.