Document dYK95gEaepY8ojrZVD8JXxVm5

Jan 9, 19 36 Co lo n e l Geo rge s Th e n a u lt Room 52 7 2 5 Avenue Victo r-EH im an ue l I I I P a ris , France Hy d e a r Th e n a u lt* I was happy to h e ar from you some tim e ago and I am v e r y g r a t e f u l to yo u f o r s e n d in g a c o p y o f Dr. Va le n tin *a t h e s i s . I have gone o ve r th e t h e s i s in a more o r l e s s c u r s o r y manner and a lth o u g h th e r e a re many minor p o in ts which m ight be d is cu s s e d c r i t i c a l l y * i t would seem th a t th e ge n e ra l ch a ra c te r o f th e th e s is i s f a i r and e s s e n tia lly co rre ct. I t is In e vita b le th at the review of a l l the lite r a tu r e o f the s u b je c t would r e s u lt in in clu d in g some m a te r ia l w hich i s e i t h e r o f no co n seque n ce * o r w h ich Is m isleadin g in i t s im p licatio n s . I t is als o in e vita b le th at one who h as n o t be e n i n c o n t a c t w i th t h i s m a tte r fro m th e s ta r t sho uld have some co n fu s io n o f mind about th e I n i t i a l d i f f i c u l t i e s . The d e t a i l e d h i s t o r y o f t h i s m a tte r h as n e ve r been w r itte n and pro bably n e ve r w i l l be pu blis h e d fo r a v a r i e t y of reasons. You a re q u i t e r i g h t i n yo u r comment on th e s ta te m e n t on Page 1. I t would be b e t t e r to c l a r i f y th is e n tir e m atte r by In d ic a tin g th a t th e po is o n in gs and th e f a t a l i t i e s were a s s o c ia te d w ith m an u facturin g a c t i v i t i e s , and in e a rly s ta ge o f th e developm ent of m anufacturing m ethods. You a re a l s o q u i t e r i g h t i n q u e s t i o n i n g D r . V a l e n t i n *s r e fe r e n o e to the work o f Em ileo Bon n et. Dr* Bonnet has had no f i r s t hand e x p e r i e n c e i n th e m a tte r and knows v e r y l i t t l e a b o u t i t . As to th e 'work o f Dr, F l i n n * t h e l e s s s a i d a b o u t i t , th e b e t t e r . F lin n *s work on an im als and h is a n a ly t i c a l work as w e ll were u n r e l i a b l e . I know th e d e t a i l s o f th e work and I know how b a d l y i t was d o n e . I h a ve n e g l e c t e d to make an y r e fe r e n c e to h i s work in my a r t i c l e s f o r th e s im ple re a s o n t h a t I h ave n o t wished to g e t in to a co n tro ve rs y whioh would have no p o in t. Bor did I w ish to f l a y a s c i e n t i f i c c o lle a g u e f o r no good pu rpo s e . Bo one e l s e h as be e n a b le to o b ta i n th e r e s u l t s w h ich F l i n n ob* fcalned, and th a t Is enough to pu t th e work in i t s pro per p la c e . S t r a n g e l y en o ugh* F l i n n had s o l i t t l e c o n fi d e n c e i n h i s own re s u lts th a t he has n ever taken the p o s itio n th at the use o f le a d e d g a s o lin e was dan gero us e i t h e r to th e p u b lic o r to th e h a n d le rs o f g a s o l i n e . He c o n te n te d h i m s e l f w ith w r i t i n g th e a r t i c l e p re s e n tin g h is e xp e rim e n tal work and draw in g th e m ost te n tative so rt of con clusions. * _ 0010026 2 Co lo n e l Th e n au lt O b v io u s ly Dr# V a l e n t i n 3 t h e s i s c o n tr i b u te s no new id e a s and no new in fo rm a tio n to th e problem , and alth o u gh i t may be o f some consequen ce in r e la tio n to the French p o in t o f vie w , i t has no fu rth e r s ig n ific a n c e * By t h i s I do n o t mean to condemn i t , b u t i n g e n e r a l th e s e s which are e s s e n tia lly re vie w s are n ot taken ve ry s e r io u s ly. I am t a k i n g t h i s o c c a s i o n to c a l l yo u r a t t e n t i o n t o th e f a c t t h a t Dr# W i lla r d F* Machle w i l l be l e a v i n g h e re f o r Euro pe th e f i r s t o f J u ly * You w i l l be s e e i n g him in P a ris and i t i s h is in te n tio n to s e e m ost o f th e m ixin g p l a n t s i n F r a n c e , I am n o t s u re t h a t yo u w i l l h ave an y o th e r m atters th at w ill require M s a tte n tio n , bu t I fe e l qu ite c e r ta in th a t you w i l l g iv e him e ve ry a s s is ta n c e in g e tti n g abo u t and in s e e i n g how th in g s are p r o g r e s s i n g i n France# With kin d e s t perso n al re gard s , Co rd ially yours, RAK:is Ro be rt A#' KeKoe, '1.13. Kjr. 0010027