The Wily and Prolific Thomas Edison Seeks to Take Advantage of a Commercial Opportunity Offered by the Outbreak of World War I

World War I began in August 1914, and the wily Edison recognized this as a potential opportunity. Aniline oil and aniline salt are important commercial substances used in the textile (for dyeing clothes) and rubber (railroads use rubber products) industries, and these substances were imported from Germany. However, with the Royal Navy standing between Germany and the U.S. market, and the slowdown in Europe in the manufacture of commodities not useful to the war effort, that supply was in serious jeopardy.

In the early months of 1915, Edison conceived the idea of helping out these struggling American industries by making aniline and related organic chemicals for them. Following his usual procedure, he first exhausted the literature on the subject, and then laid out the plant. By bringing great pressure to bear on his workers – and by working day and night himself – he constructed the plant in just 45 working days. It was in production by May 1915 and commenced deliveries shortly after; it was soon turning out over 4,000 pounds of these products per day.

As the production got underway, Edison was concerned about its pace and would allow nothing to hold it up. Here he writes to his brother-in-law John V. Miller, who  was the overall manager of some of Edison’s enterprises, including this one. He instructed Miller to get moving, and showed exactly the kind of man he was to work for, as the men in his labs and plants undoubtedly saw him.

Autograph note signed, Orange, NJ, May 4, 1915, to Miller. “Miller – Put men on everything in aniline plant, so all goes on simultaneously. We are dragging. The contracts call for delivery of aniline on the 20th May & it must not fall down, so just get the men on. E.” He continues, “Let me know what you want. Don’t let Erie delay you, follow them up, put the diggers on. You better dope the outside of cement pipe thick with soft or roofing tar. E.” The cement referred to may well be rubber cement used in the manufacture of tires. Likely Erie refers to the Erie Railroad, and a contract Edison had with them.