Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-06-18
DWINDLING GASOLINE SUPPLY
by FREDERIC J. HA.kIN

WASHINGTON. Juno 17.-If tho war
lasts for several years. unless some
great new source OF petroleum ia found.
the pleasure car and tho pleasure boat
may have to he deprived OF their share
ply
This Is the substance and meaning
OF several reports which have been
made by the Bureau OF Mines to a
subcommittee of tho Council OF Ma
honal Defense. which has charge OF the
petroleum problem. This committee la
composed OF leading oil producers with
MIR. Bedford. OF Standard Oil. as it's
chairman. Needless to say. this com
mittee Will not be at all hasty in recon-
mendinE the curtailment of any use Of
any petroleum product. It Is known
mat IT has not looked with favor upon
any line of argument pointing toward
me need for limiting by law the use
OF gasoline.
Therefore. the maker OF pleasure cars.
whose back hair is already beginning
to rise as he reads this. may make
himself easy for the time being. So
may the rcfincr OF oils. who after sew
eral lean years Is now making large
money. and naturally wants TO keep
on doing SO. And these gentlemen
should have tho facts Of the matter
brought to their attention.
Chfc1cSt
sincws OF war. We can no more beat
Germany or defend America without an
adequate petroleum supply than we
can do II without enough men Not a
wheel turns without n petroleum oil
to lubricate IL. Gasoline moves ar
mics and their supplies. lifts acroplanes
TO vantage heights. carries back the
wounded. Modern navies burn petro-
lcum. And right now the allied navies
are counting their oil barrels like
miscrs. All Of our big vessels are oil
burners, and our Navy Department is
counting upon keeping up It's oil supply
by distilling petroleum out OF shnlcs-
4 process which has not been perfected
as yet in this country
Light cruisers and other fast sub
marine chasing boats could not be
built on coal-burninE basis Not
enough OF such bulky fuel could be
carried to maintain their specd-as
much has been stated by the British
Lord OF the Admiralty. Whatever in
vention may DO used to combat tho
submarine, petroleum in some form
will be its life-blood.
Petroleum. then. in all OF It's forms
and products. Is one OF the necessities.
The need for having An adequate sup
ply OF II in this country Is need OF
our national safety To send our al
lies all the oil we can spare Is as
necessary as to send them all tho food
we can spare. Petroleum is one OF
the big factors In the present war.
and there is no more excuse for vast
Ing II than there is for burning wheat.
Chart Show. situation.
Director Van H. Manning, OF the Ru-
reau OF Mines. has prepared n graphic
chart which shows how we are using
inns precious fluid more clearly than
any words. He has plotted three curves.
one OF which shows the rite at which
we are producing petroleum. another
one the rate at which production OF
gasoline has increased. and the third
the rise OF the automobile. If these
thrcc lines were nearly parallel We
would Know that we could go on using
gasoline at the present rate for an
indefinite length OF time. But these
lines diverEe sharply. II would be
impossible for them TO DIVORCE much
farther. They show that the produc-
ton OF automobiles has already in
creased 200 per cent above the increase
OF gasoline production. This is what
Mr.. Manning calls the apparently un-
solvable puzzle" of our gasoline sup
ply.
ing. the answer to the puzzle is easy
IL would be as easy as the puzzle pre-
scnted By a tank which Is leaking two
gallons an hour and receiving one
gallon an hour The tank would soon
be empty And our gasoline supply
will soon be exhausted unless some
thing is done either % to supplement
the supply. or f2) to restrict it's use
Now il II comes to restricting the
use. there Is doubt about what use
Will be restricted. The pleasure car
and the pleasure boat will suffer This
is a fact SO obv and important that
every builder and user OF pleasure
nd tai n int
account. 1t cannot he blinked and
there Is no good In corcealinE it.
Experts say that the builder canno,