Document jBvXvx8MV7NZLjmgnBE7knqYy

Mr. H. W, Kaley Ir. H. 0. Jones Lake Erie Chemical Company, Cleveland, Ohio Me York Chicago May 14, 1943 Dear Harry: In talking with Ellis Locher over the phone today, I gave him a brief message for transmission to you regarding my contact with the above company, I hope you -111 pardon my not writing you fully before this, but train schedules and calls have bean packed so tightly together that I have not had an opportunity. In company with Louis Slack, 1 called on Mr, Sdelman, who is Director of Research for this company. They manufacture a variety of highly toxic materials, some of which go into police use, such as tear gas and so on, and others are being built for the Chemical Warfare Department, This company needs a source for the ethyl radical {Cg Hg) and have come to the conclusion that tetraethyl lead is the most convenient and prolific means of obtaining it. They seam to bo in no way concerned with the toxic properties of tetraethyl lead, and also seem to feel that their experience in handling this typo of^ ^ a ^ ualifles them competely. At the time of my call, they were not quite clear as to how they would handle large quantities and would be willing to accept in the main our mechanical rooommondations, The estimated amount which nay be needed in a comparatively few months would be possibly one 55 gallon drum per day. The laboratory and other manufacturing facilities are extremely sloppy for a concern of this type. So much so, in fact that we got quite a dose of tear gas by merely walking freef one floor to another. This sort of condition made.mo wonder wetter we ought to accept orders for large quantities ' ; -S.'without considerable invest1 $ # ion. Accordingly, I called Dry-dEehoe on the telephone (he was in Lorain, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, at the-time) and outlined -the situation to him, He suggested, and Mr* Sdelman agreed,' that Lake Erie Chemical Company write a com plete outline of their requirements to the Kettering Laboratory, after which either Dr, Kshoe or one of his representatives would call and discuss the medical and organ!o chemical aspects fully* KE 0013758 I la the meantime, we *411 receive a purchase order for two or three laboratory caas .of tetraethyl lead for use la preliminary expeidjsents* X fool perfectly safe la recoassaading that this small order be filled without hesitatioa as there are adequate numbers of small hoode, gloves aad maslcs available. I will discuss this hole situation altii you more fully return to Kso Toxic aext wsaJc* . I Very tru ly yours, copies to Mr. 0. B. hewis Sr. i. A. lohoe