Omaha daily bee., 1918-02-06
OIL IS INCLUDED
IN U. S. CONTROL
OF INDUSTR R|ES
President Issues Proclamation
Putting Under License Manu-
faCture and Distribution
/. of All Fuel Oils.

Washington, Feb. 5.-Governmcn
control OF industry was extended tc
oil in a proclamation by President
Wilson tonight putting under license
the manufacture and distribution Of
all fuel oils.
No mention is made of other oils
or oil products, Including gasoline
and kerosene, but they too probably
will be put under control soon.
Authority under the proclamation
is to be vested in Mark L. Requa OF
California, recently named as chief OF
the fuel Administrations oil division.
Licenses must be obtained before
February II by all manufacturers and
distributors whose gross sales of fuel,
including gas oil amount TO more
than 100000 barrels year.
A series OF regulations drawn by
the fuel administration establishes in
the east list of preferential CON
sumers who must be supplied in the
order they are given regardless OF
contracts outstanding.
License Essential Industries.
Difficulties OF transportation, it is
declared both in the presidents proc
lamation and in a statement prepared
by the fuel administration, make
licensing necessary that essential in
dustries be supplied.
Operation OF the control will cut
the supplies of the less essential in-
dustries where lack Of transportation
creates a shortage. The preferential
List is set forth as follows:
Railroads and bunker fuel.
Export deliveries or shipments for
the army or navy. 49,.
Export shipments for the navies
and other war purposes of the allies.
Hospitals where oil is now being
used for fuel.
Public utilities and domestic con-
sumers now using fuel oil, including
gas oil.
Shipyards engaged in government
work.
Navy yards f
ON PREFERENTIAL LIST, Il
Arsenals.
Plants engaged in the manufacture.
production and storage Of food prod
ucts.
Army and navy csntonments where
oil now is being used for fuel.
Industrial consumers engaged in
- manufacture OF munitions and
her articles under government or
trs.
All other classes.
In issuing the preferential list the
fuel administration at the same time
exempted all users of oil from the
operation OF the Monday closing Or
der as it has been shown that most
of the oil consumers already were
excepted under previous exemptions.
This exemption includes not only
users of fuel oils. but also consumers
OF all petroleum and petroleum prod
ucts.
OH Steamships Withdrawn.
The proclamation is issued under
the food controlsact.
The president says that nearly one
half of the feet Of oil tankers which
have brought oil from Mexico to the
United States have been withdrawn
from the service to-supply the Amer
lean and allied navies. This has de-
pleted the oil supply in the United
States to a considerable extent. and
has created serious situation in the
cast. In the west, too, especially in
California, consumption Is outstrip-
ping production.
An explanatory statement issued
tonight by the fuel administration
said: st.SJ
These rules and regulations are
promulgated by the president for the
purpose of assuring an adequate sup
ply and equitable distribution Of fuel
oil, for purposes vitality essential to
the national security and defense and
to the successful prosecution OF the.
WAR; s5