FLAT DENIAL

Timaru Herald, Volume CLV, Issue 22786, 10 January 1944, Page 5

FLAT DENIAL

“Iniquitous Charges” Every Aid Given To War Effort 8y Telegraph—N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright (Rec. 8 pjn.) LONDON, Jan. 7. Lord McGowan, President of Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd , named as a party in the anti-trust suit of the United States, has issued an additional statement. Lord McGowan said that since making his earlier statement, his attention had been drawn to statements made by the United States Assistant Attor-ney-General (Mr Wendell Berge). “While I have not yet the complete report, Mr Berge clearly states that in his view, the activities of Imperial Chemical Industries and Du Pont frustrated the Allied war effort and involved collaboration with the enemy. I cannot wait to obtain more exact information before denying utterly and totally any suggestion that any action of ours during the war, and indeed before the war, was of any other character than designed to assist both the British and Allied Governments by every means in our power. “We lent freely our ablest colleagues, staff and workers, including thousands of key men to all the Government departments and factories which asked for them. We placed our research patents and processes, our knowledge, technical and commercial, for the purposes of the war unreservedly at the disposal of the Government, and through them. America and Russia. “Our war effort has been freely recognised and appreciated by the Ministries of all three services’ supply departments and other Ministers and their departments,” added Lord McGow'an. “I wish therefore, on behalf of myself. Lord Melchett. my colleagues and the 120,000 men and women working in our factories—ls.ooo of our employees are serving in the Armed Forces—to issue a flat denial of these iniquitous charges and make it clear that we are prepared to meet them fully and in detail at the proper time and place.”