Document rQzKoRJnjXbZ8n5dyj6e77Nr
Decem ber 22* 1936
Mr. John Sch a efer
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Ga solin e Box 688
Corp oration
W ilm in gton , Delaware
Dear Mr. Sch a efer s
P le a s e a cce p t my th an ks fo r you r l e t t e r o f Decem ber 15 t h w it h I t s I n fo r r a a t io n on m ethods o f t e s t in g a ir sam ples fo r t e t r a e t h y l le a d co n t e n t * I w i l l r e fe r t h is t o Mach le fo r h is i n f or m ati on.
I a p p r e c ia t e yo u r com ments
*in yo u r o t h e r l e t t e r o f Decem b er l 6 t h c o n c e r n in g t h e
memorandum o f Novem ber 30 th on t a n k c le a n in g I n s t r u c t io n s
for- w e ld e r s and r ep a ir m en *. I s a w ,p r e v io u s ly * yo u r com ments
o f a s im ila r n a t u r e made in a l e t t e r t o Mr. L e w is , The
memorandum In q u e s t io n e x p r e s s e d my o p in io n a b o u t t h e
problem * and 1 h ave n ot ch an ged my o p in io n * Th er e is a
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b a r e p o s s i b i l i t y t h a t t h e r e may be some d a n ger from
ga s o lin e -fu m e s * an d t h e r e m igh t a ls o be some s m a ll q u a n t it ie s
o f le a d fu m es. H owever I do n o t b e lie v e t h a t t h e r e i s l i k e l y
t o be a n y s i g n i f i c a n t d a n ge r t o r e p a ir men and w e ld e r s in
e n t e r in g a t a n k t h a t h a s b e e n t h o r o u g h ly c le a n e d . As you
kn ow* we a r e s t u d y in g t h e e n t i r e px'oblem an d we a r e e n t i r e l y
w illin g t o ch an ge ou r p o in t o f view i f ou r in v e s t ig a t io n
i n d i c a t e s t h a t we a r e in e r r o r *
1 th in k I t must be born e In m in d t h a t t h i s memorandum was is s u e d t o o u r own r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s w i t h whom t h i s e n t i r e q u e s t io n h a d b een d is c u s s e d in some d e t a i l . Th ese men a r e a l l a wa r e t h a t t h e r e a r e a s p e c t s o f t h i s p r o b le m a b o u t w h ich we a r e n o t su r e* and t h a t one o f t h e ir jo b s i s t o o b t a in fu r t h e r I n fo r m a t io n . We ca n n o t s e t o u t b y t a k i n g a n u n r e a s o n a b le p o sitio n * or what w ill be regard ed as an u n reason ab le p o s i t i o n b y m any o f t h e p e o p le w it h whom we h a ve t o d e a l . On t h e o t h e r h a n d * we c o u ld t a k e a p o s i t i o n we o u r s e lv e s regard ed as r ea son a b le even i f th ey were to r ega r d i t as u n r e a s o n a b le * i f w h a d a d e q u a t e e v id e n c e op w h ich t o b a s e ou r own c o n c lu s i o n s . I n t h e Ab s e n ce o f s u ch e v id e n c e * we a r e in a much s t r o n g e r p o s i t i o n I f s e r e q u i r e w h a t seem s to be e n t ir e ly r ea son a b le* I f th er e is an y s ig n ific a n t e xp o s u r e on t h e p a r t o f w e ld e r s an d r e p a ir m e n * we s h a l l b e a b le t o d is c o v e r I t an d I f e e l q u it e c o n flu e n t t h a t we s h a ll be a b le to d is co ve r i t w ith ou t an y I n te r cu r r e n t
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t r a g e d ie s or s e r io u s in ju r y t o an yon e* I f I d id n ot th in k t h is , I would c e r t a in ly n ot h ave e xp r e s s e d m ys e lf a s 1 d id . F r a n kly I do n ot th in k th er e is .e v e n th e most rem ote p o ssi b i li t y th a t th e typ e of exposure in vo lved h ere w ill be o f any sign ifica n ce .
I am e x p e c t in g t o b e in Hen Yo r k a t an e a r l y d a t e , I can n o t s a y when b e ca u s e u n fo r e s e e n d i f f i c u l t i e s h ere in th e la b o r a t o r y h ave d e t e r r e d my p la n s c o n s id e r a b ly . H owever I h ope t o be t h e r e soon , an d I t h in k i t wouldbe w is e i f yo u , Lewis and m ys e lf were t o g e t t o g e t h e r a t t h a t t im e . I s h a ll l e t you b o t h know a d a y or two in ad van ce in o r d e r to make t h a t p o s s ib le .
Very t r u ly yo u r s,
R AKjis
Rob eFF'T'"''iieho , '"' 0.
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