Document zzbnpaRpmEnJEoVpE1aeVKMj7

ff' / Bridgeport, Conn. October 19, 1935 Dr. 1.'. J. IlcConnell, AssU. Medical Director, Industrial Health' Section, Metropolitan lire Insurance Co., Hew York City My dear Dr. H.-C'jivi.ill: SUBJECT: Asbestos Dust at Horth Charleston Plant. As you,':i'or, cur vl*r>t at Uorth Charleston, as veil as the other Divisions, have- be^-n voicing with your Company for a long tine in the. acquiring -* information, nodical ana other wise, regarding Asbestos Duat haar.rcr and Asbc:tools. .he havo had a number of salts, r.z you ere aware, for which yea ;-ovc ssoistad a: ta prepare, and at the last trial, your Hr. flshr.el sesviiicc. Va hove crpiusei on your Company so present c-.-vi.ain information that our attorney. Hr. Julian Mitchell, of Charleston, S. C,, Co;ir&ti, :r.d vs- vert-. ;:t *-. stt-.nc'stili to hr.Cv vhut to do and carry or; vita thvac suit::, for I again s*.vy ve had ccpcr.ot.c on very ruch upset your li.at Company* s assist; nac. v.e-tic when Hr. Jaiicrdt 4-...**>..,",,*..*w-.1...1".rf > we that were we could not expect any court assistance iron your cep;'rtuent, due to ordera you hr<d received from ycur superiors. Ve iienediotely want_d to have you tails over the situation with Hr. itcl;oli, to sec that he could co, and when they got in touch with t.:r and named \:hut I thought of subpoena ing Hr. rcanoi, I told than frausly that it loshed to r.e ss If that was the only thing '-e could do, if *.\e v.cro going to have the help of Hr. Fehnol in these particularly Important cases. It may loom occ to you that this subpoena ves served, but mally there vas nothin? els-5 for us to au, -uici I could not st-. e.ny.other v.y out under the tircu^jt.enccs, after Ur. Hitahell had pointcc out what it was going to ean to Ida to have Hr. Fvhnal there, I do ' 't hope you vlil tal:e this into cans! caratIan and that the assist V ance of Hr. xchnel .ill bo give:* us very cheerfully. ^ J 5 I can recognise the position of the Insurance ccmpeny in testifying in ordinary cases of this mind, but as I see it, these particular cases of ours at Charleston really cone into different category. Te carried Compensation and Health Insurance with ' "your Comosny when these suits rare first brought up at Charles- - r>n`of course, unucr the policies, we vert* not covered against  tr t. J.-McConnell, 2 10/19/35 The Metropolitan Insurance Co., nor no other insurance company In the United States, >uici any data that was worth very nuch on Asbestos lust or Asbostosis, and naturally your Company wanted health statistics and information regarding Asbestos lust on the lungs* Our Company was acre then willing to cooperate with you, end vre also Induced Johns-Manvillu to c? .'Derate, tna your Company started with a bust Survey of s number or the asbestos plants* T.hen your appropriation for t:iis work ran out, yau requested thst It be enrrisc on unt'l a new appropriation coulu ua secured by your Company, and we did so. Later on, we hired a nan, jir. Binder to vorx under your control, but at the expense of Johns-lianvi lie and ovursvlves. This fll lea us to believe that under the cbncitlor.3, re would have your cssiot-.rce in trying these unfair suits, which would eventually b? a benefit to you, i.rd also have considerable bearing on the Eurt racket, stout rhicr: tv much has been published lately. I feel as if your Company has rot triier into consioerc tion all these various factors rfccn turning down our request for lir. fennel1? pres ence at the trials ir Cns.rA*s:aen Ur. Fchr.el being the only min who has been following tne tiecr.iin of tru Asbestos bast through all its various ramifications.. JJaturaliv , if v.'-.' could Ji.iVe foreseen the attitude the Metropolitan Insurer,ice Co.*s Kieuicai Department wo^iri take at this late date, ut would have hired tueuitljtt and he would have had all the n.ir. -which y our Company r;.-iS, -ij.-o _s y uu Know, wc have spent lc*.gi suss to r.-shf the Cherj.esvon Flam, an local one, with your assistance. I do not believe that by .vr. Fchrsl testiiying at Char leston, It will establish a preassent, it is harc-iv lively you will have this type of ease ccme uv. i.r.tin for n.any year::, and I am also certain it is VL?y questionable if you will get the rsme amount of assistance fjor. any tve companies tout you have been get ting from Johns-ilanvillc r.r.c: ours river, arid moreover, it was our intention to dray; in ot'nor asbestos companies in this survey as soon ar the tine t:i.s right to bring them ir., enc. this would mean a tremendous amount of information On Asbestos bust ;.nd Asbestosis in the possession of the lietropal 1 tan Insurance Co., wno would be the only ones in the United States, so far ns ve Know, having this in- fornation. I have been trying to get in touch with my friend, Kr. Janes . Kavansgh, Vice President of the Metropolitan Insurance Co,, to endeavor to have hln makf* nn appointment with Mr, Leker, your President, so I can go over this matter with hie very care fully end thoroughly, an-ii 1 hope to be able to do so next Tuesday. Unfortunately, I sliall be av*y the letter part of this week. SS-G, Very truly yours. 'President