was his memory revived, and only in the rare case was there a glimpse of an
appreciation of his importance to Haber and of his contribution to fixation,
primarily through the work of Szöllözi-Janze and Stoltzenberg. But in the
immediate post-war years probably the last ‘popular’ reference in the UK to
Robert’s involvement with ‘fixation’ accompanied reports of the decision of
HMG to finally construct a ‘nitrogen factory’ on British soil.
Late in 1919 the Ministry of Munitions in the UK published a report by
the Nitrogen Products Committee which addressed various aspects of ‘the
nitrogen problem’ both at home and in the Empire. An interim report had
been produced some two years earlier and recommended the construction of a
large factory at Billingham-on-Tees in County Durham (near
Middlesborough). Late in 1917 land was purchased, roads laid down, some
buildings erected and materials ordered, but the work was never pressed
forward with any vigour and ceased completely at the conclusion of hostilities. The new report looked in detail at all aspects of the supply of fixed
nitrogen and recommended that HMG build a synthetic ammonia plant at
Billingham to produce ammonia/nitric acid on a commercial scale using the
‘Haber-Bosch’ process. The Government accepted the report’s findings but
decided that progress was best made by private enterprise and advertisements
for contracts and tenders appeared in The Times and other ‘nationals’ on
Wednesday, 19 November 1919.
Subsequently, a syndicate consisting of Messrs. Brunner Mond and
Explosive Trades Limited
27 made a successful bid which was again reported
in The Times on 22 April 1920. The same article rationalised the need for a
‘nitrogen factory’ in terms of a ‘national insurance’ to guard against British
merchant shipping being prevented from conducting the saltpetre trade by
German submarines, or the possibility of a future Chilean Government
withholding supplies of nitrate. The article described the process to be
adopted at Billingham ‘ … being that generally known by the name of the
German chemist Haber’, but went on to mention that ‘an Englishman, Le
Rossignol, was associated with him in its inception’. But there was no conviction or qualification concerning Robert’s involvement and this was a
common thread in post-war reports concerning the ‘Haber’ process, universally accepted as the ‘fountain’ of synthetic ammonia without which—the
article went on to say—’[Germany] would not have dared to make war and
certainly could not have continued to fight as long as she did’. A simplistic
view of the attitude of the British Press in those raw post-war years would
conclude that they were reluctant to acknowledge the involvement of a British
national in what was seen as a magnificent but ultimately cruel German
innovation. And whereas there must be some element of truth here, it is
15 The Post-war Years 1919–1930
333
appreciation of his importance to Haber and of his contribution to fixation,
primarily through the work of Szöllözi-Janze and Stoltzenberg. But in the
immediate post-war years probably the last ‘popular’ reference in the UK to
Robert’s involvement with ‘fixation’ accompanied reports of the decision of
HMG to finally construct a ‘nitrogen factory’ on British soil.
Late in 1919 the Ministry of Munitions in the UK published a report by
the Nitrogen Products Committee which addressed various aspects of ‘the
nitrogen problem’ both at home and in the Empire. An interim report had
been produced some two years earlier and recommended the construction of a
large factory at Billingham-on-Tees in County Durham (near
Middlesborough). Late in 1917 land was purchased, roads laid down, some
buildings erected and materials ordered, but the work was never pressed
forward with any vigour and ceased completely at the conclusion of hostilities. The new report looked in detail at all aspects of the supply of fixed
nitrogen and recommended that HMG build a synthetic ammonia plant at
Billingham to produce ammonia/nitric acid on a commercial scale using the
‘Haber-Bosch’ process. The Government accepted the report’s findings but
decided that progress was best made by private enterprise and advertisements
for contracts and tenders appeared in The Times and other ‘nationals’ on
Wednesday, 19 November 1919.
Subsequently, a syndicate consisting of Messrs. Brunner Mond and
Explosive Trades Limited
27 made a successful bid which was again reported
in The Times on 22 April 1920. The same article rationalised the need for a
‘nitrogen factory’ in terms of a ‘national insurance’ to guard against British
merchant shipping being prevented from conducting the saltpetre trade by
German submarines, or the possibility of a future Chilean Government
withholding supplies of nitrate. The article described the process to be
adopted at Billingham ‘ … being that generally known by the name of the
German chemist Haber’, but went on to mention that ‘an Englishman, Le
Rossignol, was associated with him in its inception’. But there was no conviction or qualification concerning Robert’s involvement and this was a
common thread in post-war reports concerning the ‘Haber’ process, universally accepted as the ‘fountain’ of synthetic ammonia without which—the
article went on to say—’[Germany] would not have dared to make war and
certainly could not have continued to fight as long as she did’. A simplistic
view of the attitude of the British Press in those raw post-war years would
conclude that they were reluctant to acknowledge the involvement of a British
national in what was seen as a magnificent but ultimately cruel German
innovation. And whereas there must be some element of truth here, it is
15 The Post-war Years 1919–1930
333