The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-09-19
PLENTY OF CRUDE OIL IN GROUND
 FOR WAR NEEDS
No Danger of Shortage, U. S Chamber of Commerce
 sIs Told.

Atlantic City, N. J., Sept. 1s- There is not the slightest danger of a deficiency in the supply either of crude oil or it's products, kerosene and gasoline. for the use of the United States or it's allies in the war, in the opinion of A. c. Bedford, of New York, president of the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey. MT. Bed- ford expressed that conviction in an address he delivered here today be- fore the War Convention of the American Chamber of Commerce.
 America said MT. Bedford. Ifs producing and can produce all that will be needed for these purposes" !" But he added that "our governm snt should receive the first call upon all petroleum produced. either for itself or as it may designate for the use of our Allies in their conduct of the war"
 Before reaching this conclusion, MT Bedford declared that the vital problem confronting the petroleum industry today was to increase the production of crude oil. to induce pro- ducers of crude oil to make greater and greater effort toward obtaining a large product.
 "The price," he said, should be sufficiently attractive to induce more and more people to drill wells, thus ensuring steady supply and offer ing always the opportunity of finding a great pool which will make the whole situation suddenly easy.''
 While the oil refining capacity of the country, MT. Bedford stated, is greater than the present demand, the United States is consuming crude oil at the rate of over 330,000,0O bar rels a year while the annual produc- tion in this country amounts to 312,- 000,000 barrels. There was in stor- age in the United States on July 1 last, however, 164.50,942 barrels of petroleum.
 ''It will thus appear added MT. Bedford, that. with the stocks above ground and given the present rate ot production and consumption, the SUD- ply as sufficient to ensure us having enough oil for at least the next five years, provided the production is fairly maintained. So, while the oc- casion is not one for alarm, it is one for taking intelligent measures toward adequate production of what we need. Such is the situation con- fronting the Petroleum Committee appointed by the Council of National Defense, to cooperate with the gov ernment in meeting it's oil require ments.''
 "This committee" he added, Ina. recognized that the government re- quirements should have absolute pre- cedenee and that no consideration o, costa, convenience or selfish interes' should interfere with our giving the government everything it asked o1 us'
 To emphasize his suggestion that creased, MT. Bedford said that this country will require next yeaS ct least | 55,000,000 barrels of gasoline. That amount" he declared. simply cannot 1 be obtained from the quantity of crude petroleum now being produced. "They tell us the war is to be, wor in the air. Our country is said to be l building large numbers of airplanes I Our allies are building flying ma | chimes as fast as they know how Vital to> the very existence of these airplanes is the highest grade of gaso. line which can be produced. Tn, prospect is that the present year vii call for 8.0O0,000 barrels of gasoline for the use of our allies in Europe" Asserting that it would be grea l misfortune to adopt any policy tha would hamper or handicap the auto mobile industry as a manufacturing enterprise or the use of automobile, now in possession of the public, MT Bedford declared, there should b. a campaign of education of automo bileu sers showing them how to ob ] tain the utmost usefulness from theil cars with minimum consumption O. gasoline"
 i How American business can hell promote the development of trans | portation on land and sea as a pri mary factor in winning the war ant the functions of commercial ofgani zations in war were other topics fol discussion at today's sessions of tn, war convention of the chamber O commerce of the United States. Several group meetings were helt
 during the day for the consideration
 of fuel conservation, better use O l freight cars and terminal facilities
 utilization of motor trucks and trol leys, cooperation on the food pro
 blem, economies in the use of ma
 terials, power and delivery service
 saving and storing space, organizatiol l of government buying, readjustmen Ito war conditions present and antici l pated; how manufacturers and trad
 organizations may. organize better t.
 help the government and develol
 their output.
 The speakers included Judge Rob | ert s. Lovett of the war emergenc.
 board; Raymond B. Stevens, United 1 States shipping board; A. G. Bedford 1 president of the Standard Oil Go. Harry A. Wheeler, Chicago; Waite
 Parker, of the department of com
 merce; Edward A. Filene. of Boston
 Walter s. Clifford. director of tn 1 council of national defense, an,
 James A. McKibon, president of tn National Association of Commercial | Organization Secretaries.
 At the night session Lord North l ciiffe, chairman of the British wa
 mission, and Herbert c. Hoover wer on the program for addresses. | The increased use or inland water
 ways and coastwise transportation a
 a means of relieving the war strail
 on the railroads and as an economi
 necessity after the war was urged b, I MT, Parker in his address at tn | morning session.