Lord Rutherford's speech last week evoked a letter to The
Times of the 22nd from Sir Harry McGowan, giving the view of an international industrialist. He wrote that it was now possible to undertake this-hydrogenation of coal on any scale, and that the Empire could be made self-supporting. in liquid fuels-!, provided the.development be initiated as a national enterprise." We take these last words to mean that, after .conducting invaluable research work under Lord Melchett, Imperial Chemical Industries is not prepared to risk the capital expenditure on pro- duction upon a large scale. Sir Richard. Redmayne, on the other hand, wrote in last Monday's Times more in favour of low-temperature distillation, as already com- mercially carried out in the North of England. He pointed out that all coal is not. of the right character for the purpose, and the market for the products must be ready at hand, as they would be if the plant was worked in conjunction with the new great Electric Power Stations. We publish this week an article on the question from another point of view, for the Spectator has for many years looked forward to this development and its attendant advantages.
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