The Washington herald., 1917-09-02

ent hearings In Washington before
the Senate Committee on Public Lands
the coal and oil questions were dis
cussed at length. These discussions
brought out some interesting facts
concerning the production and use OF
Mexican petroleum.
There has been n widespread mis-
understanding OF this matter, helped
along a lot by a number OF publica-
tions on the subject.
The surprising fact was brought out
IN the hearing that In both the Eng
lish and American navies the fuel
specifications now in force forbid the
use Of Mexican OIL Mexican oil will
not be accepted Is the exact wording
Of the specification.
And yet 50 per cent Of the fuel used
in the English navy and large pro-
portion Of that used In the American
navy is Mexican oil!
Isn't that silly? The two great
navies Of two great nations trying to
fool themselves like that! The pro-
hibition against Mexican oil was first
made by the English navy and was
followed by that Of the United States.
OF course they could not get along
very well without Mexican oil and
everyone knows IL who knows any
thing about the matter. The prohibi-
ton was only sham, farce from the
very start that England and the
United States might save their faces
and preserve a high and mighty atti-
tude in dealing with Mexico.
The way England lodges this
prohibition is to have the oil ship
ped to the United States where it
goes into a common pool. II is
then shipped abroad and supplied
TO the navy as a purely American
product
For the life of me I can see no
object in all this silly red tape. 1t
only makes the MeXicans sore.
They don't like being officially dis
eliminated against, even though the
discrimination is fake.
The fact was also brought out
that there is oil enough spouting
out of Mexico to supply the whole
worlds demands and then some. The
only trouble lies in getting it away.
II was shown that the present po-
tential production Of the Mexican oil
fields is a million barrels daily. but
that because OF lack of transporta-
tion facilities the actual production
is much lesS-about a million barrels
a week.
For instance the Huasteca Petro-
leuu Company, an American con-
cern. has wells already driven which
produce 300. 900 barrels daily, but
they are mostly shut down and
only $4,000 barrels daily is allowed
to dow. That is the amount that
can be exported.
we are producing all we can
move" said the manager of the COM
panyy This is true Of all the other
companies as well.
Thefe is no difficulty in getting
the oil to the coast. as the wells are
located at no great distance from
shipping points, and all are provid-
ed with pipe lines. There is some
thing like 500 miles OF these pipe
lines in the comparatively limited
area in which most of the wells in
the republic are located. Ocean
transportation is the difficulty and
this is being overcome as rapidly
as possible by the construction Of
oil carrying steamers.
To expedite the shipments from
Tampico four large dredges have
been at work for some time in the
Panueo- River there and have deep
ensJ the channel TO thirty feet. At
the safne time the sea wall has been
extended three kilometers into the
Gulf -r
Despite the fact that only a seventh
OF Mexico's oil supply Is being put on
the market there is great activity in
the oil business in our sister republic
now that peace has been established
there. This Is shown by the COVER
mental concessions and permissions
that have been granted within the
last two weeks.
Secretary PAM, OF the department of
industry and commerce, has recently
granted permission TO the Penn
Mex. Fuel Company. TO sink a we'll
near TuxPam. in the State of Vera
Cruz. La. Corona Petroleum Company
has been given similar permission in
the municipality Of Panuco. State OF
Vera Cruz; the Pepetata Petroleum
Company has also been given a like
permission in the municipality Of
Tantins., Vera Cruz; the East Coast
Oil Company has been granted per-
mission to construct a pipe line for
carrying oil IN the northern portion
Of the state OF Vera Cruz; the Aquila
Petroleum Company, which is one Of
the Pearson interests, has been. given
permission 10 install refining machin-
cry at Minatitlan, Vera Cruz; the New
England Huel Company has been
given similar permission at Pueblo
Vieio, Vera Cruz; and the Corona
Company has recently bought a well
~ meters deep which produces
tweuty-eisht cubic meters Of oil
daily.
These investors are all experienced
oil men and they certainly would not
put their money into a business where
here Is a present great over produc-
lion unless they were convinced that
In the near future they could get
.heir product out to a market In
other words, there will soon be ocean
going bottoms enough TO insure a re-
.urnr TO something like normal freight
,ates-
Maps are now being prepared OF the
petroleum regions OF the republic
which will show exactly what lands
IRE the property OF the government
and will furnish a much needed guide
,or the granting Of concessions for
The exploitation OF oil measures in
he future. There is already in exist
snce a good mineral map Of Mexico,
put an oil map was never before at
empted
The Transcontinental Petroleum
Company. In which foreign capital
s largely invested. has been given
permission to maintain for five years
L wharf on the Panuco River for the
handling Of its products and the Huas-
eco Petroleum Company, an Ameri-
.an concern, has been granted a like
permission on the same river for eight
Tears. The only stipulation the Mex
can government made or recompense
asked was that any government
rafnc over these whArves is to be
ree OF expense.
The war in Europe has given the
ienequen industry in Yucatan a very
marked impulse, as there Is an un-
Usual demand for fiber in England.