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Allied's place in the world nitrogen industry is typical of its attitude. It would have none of the recent Nitrogen Cartel by which Germany and the united producers of Chile endeavored to stabilize the industry (TIME, Aug. 18, FORTUNE, October). It remained independent, silent, giving no quarter, asking none. To understand Allied's secrecy, Allied's independence, one need only consider the big Allied nitrogen fixation plant at Hopewell, Va. It is said that even Mr. Weber has never visited this plant to which, certainly, no other director has ever been. Only five men are credited with being able to interpret the reports from Hopewell. How much nitrogen is produced and by exactly what process is not revealed.
Around this Hopewell plant hinges Allied's future. How much has been invested there is not known. One low guess was $30,000,000. But then $100,000,000 has also been mentioned. It is certain that the big Nitrate Cartel will fight hard to prevent Allied from extracting profits from its Hopewell investment; it is certain that in Hopewell Allied will muster every corporate war-machine which it has assembled behind the dark cloud.
Typical of Orlando Weber was his action when Dr. Carl Bosch of I. G. Farbenindustrie invited him to inspect the big nitrogen fixation plant at Leunawerk, Germany. To Leunawerk went Mr. Weber, but he refused to inspect the plant except from the outside. This was neither modesty nor lack of grace, but unwillingness to accept a courtesy he could not return. All the world knows about Leunawerk; it may not know about Hopewell.