Document 15b40BVp8yG4ERNX042a5ZxJK

Gr a h a m Ed g a r . D I RECTOR O r RES EA R C H Et h y l Ga s o l i n e Co r p o r a t i o n Ch r y s l e r B u i l d i n g 405 Le x i n g t o n Av e n u e Ne w Yo r k September 1 7, 1940 ^7 Dr* Robert A. Kehoe Un ive r sity o f Cin cin n a ti College o f Medicine Eden Avenue Cin cin n a ti Ohio My dear Bobs Thanks very much fo r your le t t e r o f September 7th en clos in g a copy o f your memorandum t o Dr* Thompson. You have asked fo r comments on t h is memorandum and I s h a ll be glad to give them* There are two p oin ts in which I th in k th a t you have sta te d the case perhaps a l i t t l e more str o n gly than we would have done in New York although I do not know t h a t Dr . Thompson w ill m isin ter p r et them. One o f th ese is exem p lified in th e fir s t sentence and is im plied sever a l tim es la t e r . I r e fe r t o the p h r ase, "have given th e Eth yl Gasolin e Corpora t io n complete con tr ol o f a ll op er ation s and fu ll r e s p o n s ib ilit y fo r a ll h ygie n ic measures n ecessar y fo r the s a fe t y o f workmenn. Prom a le ga l sta n d p oin t, the Eth yl Gasolin e Corporation has never fe lt th a t i t had con t r o l o f the blending op er ation s and in our r e fin e r s lic e n s e s , we d isolaim a ll r e s p o n s ib ilit y fo r anything t h a t might happen except from proven n egligen ce on our p a r t . This may seem t o you to be too le g a lis t io but I m erely mention i t in order t o keep the records s t r a ig h t . The seoond p oin t is th a t your memorandum m ight give the im pression of an adm ission on our p a r t th a t our op er atin g p aten ts w ill exp ir e s h o r t ly . I t is tr u e t h a t the d e cisio n o f the Supreme Court by im p lica tio n a t le a s t questions the v a lid it y o f the broad use p aten t whioh exp ir e s in 1947. However, t h is is an im p lica tio n on ly sin ce the d e cisio n o f the Court p oin ted out t h a t the v a lid it y o f the p aten ts was n ot in co n sid e r a tio n . Tr ue, ce r ta in m anufacturing p aten ts begin t o exp ir e w ith in th e n ext oouple of years although th er e are d e t a il p aten ts which have a lon ger l i f e . Ce r ta in use p aten ts a ls o exp ir e in 1943 but we ce r t a in ly cannot regard i t as e sta b lish e d th a t the broad use p aten t exp ir in g in 1947 is in v a lid although i t doubtless may be attacked in th e cour ts K 0003338 - 2- Dr . Robert A. Kehoe September 16, 1940 a ft e r 1943. I am wondering i f you have anything d e fin it e in mind in th e second sentence o f the second paragraph on page ( 3 ) , su ggestin g as having th e Pu b lic Health Ser vice r eq u estin g th e Sta t e s to pass laws r e la t in g to the op er ation of th e t e t r a e t h y l lead in d u st r y. Ce r t a in ly th e problem o f oon tr ol o f th e in d u str y from the stand poin t o f th e p u b lic h e a lth w ill be more com plicated in the fu tu r e than in th e p ast and deserves thought on the p a r t o f a ll of u s . With kin d e st person al r e ga r d s, b e lie ve me* HE 0098339