Document 3Q0BbpNr76wd8QkJGgk20k0v6

September 2Ip, 1937 Mr* 0, 3. Lewis r,:thyl Gasoline Corporation Chrysler Building Hew York City New York Dear Mr* Lewis:~ Having reached the stage where I can attend to some of the matters tiiat accumulated during ary vacation, I am replying to your letter of September 8th, addressed to Dr* Machle, on the subject of supplying our analytical data on samples taken from tanks of Socony-Vacuum. You state that Mr* Baser, Superintendent of their refinery at Brooklyn,has criticised you for lack of cooperation. I can not quite understand the basis of Mr* Esser's criticism. It is true that we have obtained these samples through their cooperation. On the other hand, the information which is being sought is primarily in their interest and in that of their employees* It seems wise to me to disseminate the data and to make use of it only when we are able to interpret its meaning. We have not finished all of the analyses on the samples in our hands. Moreover in the present state of our information, we are not able to make a satisfactory interpretation of the data* Individual results are without meaning to us and can not conceivably be useful to the distributing companies* I would suggest that you write Mr. Baser, pointing out that we are collecting a rather large mass of data from a large number of distributing companies! that we are analyzing the samples as rapidly as we find it possible to do so, and that we are studying the data obtained with the idea of making a precise interpretation of its meaning in so far as that is possible. We have every wish to give him the benefit of everything that we learn, not only from samples obtained from him but from all of the samples obtained from all sources, When we have reached the proper point in our investigations, we will be pleased to give him all the information which v/'e have, and at that time the details of ixll the analytical results will be provided, I hope you will be able to satisfy Mr, Baser in this way, but I would appreciate it 0. B. Lewis For your own information, we have a number of high results on the lead content of various samples which we do not think it wise to give cut at this time. The results seem to us to be subject to misinterpretation and we do not consider it advisable to lot them cut of our hands until we have a rather clear idea of what they mean* Sincerely yours. RAK sis Robert A. Kehoe, M*X>* 0022605