The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-12
CUTS BOTH WAYS.
Eject Abroad OF Attacks Upon stan
dard OIL Company.

The Standard Oil company receives
many complaints from their foreign
staff of correspondents in regard to the
hostile attitude of the American press
towards that company, and the de-
pressing effects Of the same upon It's
foreign trade. The foreign consumer
prefers American oil, but the agents OF
rival companies constantly exploit the
home attacks upon the Standard ana
the consumers conception OF the mat
ter is that it is the quality OF the
American oil that is attacked The
press has received large encourage
ment from the debates in congress on
subjects Of interest to Americans only
and regrettably it has not differentiated
with sufficient clearneSS between the
nanufa curing and marketing COM
panies and the transportation COM
panies. Mr.. f. D. Asche. of the Eix-
port department, who possesses Iuu
and exact information in regard to the
foreign oil situation, sounds warm
ing note in a report to the board of di-
rectOrs to the effect that WantOn and
unjustif1able attacks produce eftects
that can not be fOfeseen ana accom-
plish vast mischief before they can be
corrected. Mr.. Asche's report follows:
Every producer of petroleum in the
United States and all individuals or
com anies having direct or indirect in
terests in maintaining the supremacy
of American petroleum in the competi-
tive markets Of the world cannot fail
to view with deep concern and alarm
the damage and menace to our foreign
commerce traceable to the persistent
attacks upon the Standard Oil COM
pany by an influential section Of the
American press
I'VE deem it our duty especially to
call your attention to the embarrass-
ment thus created for the managers,
agents and statesmen employed in the
marketing of American petroleum and
its products in foreign countries
hall I- inf
ton OF the desire of the Anne rican
press to jeopardize the export COM
merce of all American petroleum, or
that its attacks upon the Standard Oil
company have any such motive yet,
unfortunately. these attacks are rapid
~ leading up to this result.
"COnfirmative Of this we just have
word from one of our managers
abroad who had made application to a
foreign government for permission to
erect a storage plant to receive bulk
American petroleum, and was refused.
At the time when the question came
up for decision the presidents mes
sage to congress regarding the STAN
dard company had just reached them,
and this was given by the authorities
as a reason for their refusal Of the ap-
pHcaton-
1.-The foreign press and the foreign
consumer know little and care less
about the transp controversy
raging on this side Of the Atlantic but
Lney nave not Deen SLOW TO construct
and distort these press attacks as dis
crediting the quality and value of the
product and also as assailing the dis
tributeTs, and our market methods
through the world.
The formidable competitors Of
American petroleum, Russian, Ger
man, Roumanian, Gahcian and Orien-
tai, are very naturally utilizing these
press attacks to their own great adj
vantage and to our great detrimenr
And this at a time when the petroleum
Of this country needs an increased out
let on account Of the largely aecumu-
lating stocks above ground due to the
Immense new oil fields of Kansas
Oklahoma and Illinois.
Notwithstanding our ramified and
comprehensive channels of distribu-