The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-12
NEED OUR OIL.
War in Russia Cuts European
Supply Very Short.
London Capital viii Aid in
Pushing Gulf Line.
SEEK KANSAS PRODUCT
Field at Baku Destroyed by
Temporary Riots.
Foreigners Want Place Where
Works Will Be Protected.

Chanute, Kan, Sept. 1.-THE promo
ters of the Gulf pipe line have been
cheered by the report of a representa-
tive of theirs who recently went to
London to enlist the aid of the Shell
Trading and Transport company and
others who are interested in the Rus
sian fields.
The representative reports that the
Shell company and theo theirs will do
all necessary to make the line a sue
cess. The rioting in Baku and other
places in the Russian fields, with the
consequent paralysis of the Russian
export oil trade possibly for year, has
put all of the Shell ships temporarily
out of commission. 1t has also depriv-
ed the reffneries of a supply of OIL The
Russians use fuel oil on all their VoIga
river boats and on all other classes of
transportation, including the railroads
in the Caucasus region.
The LondonerS find themselves with
customers and without goods. In some
cases longtime contracts have been
made and now the destruction Of all the
wells and the machinery renders it i'm
peratiye that they shall get the oil
somewhere else. They cannot get
enough from the Texas field, which is
refining OIL nor can they increase the
production of the foreign fields other
than the Russian fields within a year
to a point sufficient to meet the de-
mand.
In addition the representatives of the
foreigners have visited the Kansas-Ter-
ritory field and are fully acquainted
with the production and capacity of the
wells and the possibilities of the field.
They know that its production can be
doubled in less than six months. In
other words, they can get double the
production here by the time the pipe
line to the gulf is completed.
The effect of the fires in Russia will
be felt all over the United States. The
Standard has been a heavy purchaser
of Russian oil. They bring it to this
country and mix it within native oils
for refining. The Standard will now
have to go to other fields for it's cheap
oil. 1t is already increasing its pur-
chases in the Beaumont district. These
purchases have steadily increased
since the disturbances in Baku began.
The losses IN the Baku fields will run
into millions of dollars in oil proper
ties, to say nothing of the losses caused
by the inability of the producers to full
NIL their contracts, which will amount
to millions more. The foreigners are
seeking places where their investm rents
will be protected and this they can find
in the United States. The building of
the pipe line is only one of the things
which may be expected of the foreign
oil interests. They will investigate the
situation with the view of buying a
number of producing properties and
thus make themselves independent of
the Standard so far as this country is
concerned. This course will also en-
able them to fight the Standard in this
country. The Standard has been fight
ing the London company in all the
markets of the old world, and if the
London company should buy produc-
ton in this country it might compete
with the Standard for at least a part
of American territory.