The AD‐X2 Case

Last April, Senator Edward J. Thye of Minnesota, chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee, announced that he was cancelling some previously‐planned committee hearings on the battery additive AD‐X2. In view of plans to establish an independent committee of scientists to investigate the case, he said, any committee hearings “might well becloud the issue at this time rather than clarify it”. In June Senator Thye abruptly cancelled the cancellation and for two weeks the issue was beclouded and testimony was heard from a parade of witnesses (most of them favoring AD‐X2). On July 1st, the Senate committee met in executive session and just as abruptly adjourned the hearings. A letter was then sent to Postmaster General Arthur E. Summerfield asking why and on the basis of what information had a fraud order been issued against the manufacturer of the additive and why had the order later been suspended. Senator Thye has made it clear that he believes the fraud order should be killed to permit the manufacturer to continue in business during the time his product is being investigated.