Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1916-06-06
.SOnEFEEb POLICY As
TO PETR0lEUMURGENT
PROBLEM OF SUPPLY DEMANDS.
MORE ATTENTION.
BY J. s. culIInan.

OF Our Natural Resources. to which subject the
League is now addressing itself.)
All nations depend largely upon the
United States for petroleum supplies
In the form Of fuel oil, lubricants or
gasoline. Petroleum is going to be
as much q factor In determining naval
battles a. vessels and armament, and
this point should not be overlooked
by the opponents Of preparedness In
giving on-hand opinions about this
Nation enforcing the Monroe Doctrine,
or maintaining other relations with
the Central and South American Re.
publios, which are now recognized as
the source Of future petroleum sup.
plies after the oil pools Of the United
States have been exhausted. The Ma.
tioA that controls the oil fields will
have . superior navy, II indeed It
does not render obsolete the battle.
ships Of other nations, for fuels IL o.
necessary a. steel in fighting battles
at sea.
Nature VIII Not RepIenIsh FIeIds.
We had as well dismiss from dis.
cussi0n any hope that nature will
replenish the supply Of petroleum
during the life Of the present oil
fields. Scientists tell US that It Ia
probable that the hydrocarbons. Of
which fuel 10 composed. may be re.
stored by the processes Of nature
every $4,000 years, during which
period We r told the position Of
the earth In relation to the North
and South poles may be completed,
reversed, and fuel will be again ere.
ated in the land portion Of the earth's
surface, but there is no Spectator in
oil sufficiently bold to deal In futures
quite that far away, and certainly
the present generation need not coll.
slider Il.
1t is known that many Of the for
eign naval liquid fuel contracts made
In the United States up to the last
few months were made on q basis Of
less than 81 per barrel. This product
10 manufactured under rigid speci-
locations. and is Of very high grade.
In talking with DR.. Rittman q few
months ago. he stated that under his
J process 1t is possible to obtain from
10 to 80 per cent motor spirits. or
gasoline, from this grade Of fuel oil,
representing from fifteen to twenty
gallons Of a product o selling at
from zoe to 25c per gallon, thus indi.
eating that as q Nation we are now
receiving from 20 to 80 per cen OF
the value that would be obtained after
converting under the Burton or Ritz.
man processes. What applies to naval
supplies is also applicable to q con
siderable portion OF the railroad and
Industrial consumption.
Consideration by Congress Necessary.
There would seem to DO no possible
solution except by Federal control.
Congress has the power. but there
may be some hesitancy In exercising
Il in the face Of legal. business. po-
litical and other obstacles. The OBJ
jects sought to he accomplished by
such legislation should be: Conserv.
Ing supplies OF petroleum for future
use OF the army and navy. minimi:-
Ing waste. insuring fair value for
petroleum and Its products exported
In exchange for products imported.
and establishing q reasonable price
between consumers, royalty owners.
producers, transporters. m%anufactur.
ers and distributors for domestic con.
sumption.
To my mind. there are only two
plans by which these results can best
be accomplished:
First. the National Government 10.
curing congressional approval 20 ex'
ercise the right OF eminent domain
covering all petroleum deposits with.
In the United States. to be leased In
whole or In part to present owners.
or others, under uniform regulations
covering development. production.
transportation and sale. or. second.
the National Government to con.
demn and acquire all pipe lines doing
an interstate business. obtaining au.
thority TO Ak and regulate pipe line,
rail and water rates on all petroleum
or petroleum products intended for
use between the States and foreign
countries.
In making these suggestions 1,
seems certain that within the near
future. certainly within the next Ave
years. the question OF wi petroleum
resources must receive thorough con
sressional consideration when fixed
lines OF future national policy viii be
adopted.
The production. distribution and