New-York tribune., 1918-02-05
By Presidential Proclama-
ton Orders Will Be Filled
in Prescribed Priority
Casolene Not Used
For Fuel Excepted
Administration Explains
transportation Problem
Is to Blame

WASHINGTON, Feb. 4.--GOvernment
control of industry was extended to 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 gasolene
or kerosene, but they, too, probably
will be put under control soon.
Authority under the proclamation is
to be vested in Mark L. Requa, Of Cali
fornia, recently named as chief of the
fuel administrations oil division. Lii
censes must be obtained before Feb
ruary II by all manufacturers and dis
tributers whose gross sales of fuel, in
Guiding gas oil, amount to more than
100000 barrels a year. s
A series of regulations drawn by the
fuel administration establishes in the
East list of preferential consumers
who must be supplied in the order they
are given. regardless of contracts out
standing.
Essential Industries Preferred
Difficulties of transportation, it is
declared, both in the Presidents proc
lamation and in statement prepared
BY the fue! administration, make
licensing necessary that essential in
dustries be supplied. Operation of the
control will cut the supplies of the less
essential industries where lack of
transportation creates a shortage. The
preferential list is set forth as folows
Railroads and bunker fuel export
deliveries or shipments for the army
or navy; export shipments for the
navies and other war purposes of the
Allies; hospitals where oil is now be-
ing used for fuel; public utilities and
domestic consumers now using fuel
oil, including gas oil; shipyards en-
gagged in government work; navy
yards; arsenals; plants engaged in the
manufacture, production and storage
of food products army and navy
environments where oil is being used
for fuel; industrial consumers en-
gagged in the manufacture of muni-
tons and other articles under govern
ment orders, and all other classes.
In issuing the preferential list. the
fuel administration at the same time
exempted all users of oil from the oper-
alton of the Monday closing order, as
IL has been shown that most of the oil
consumers already were excepted under
previous proclamations. This exemp-
ton includes not only users of fuel oils,
but also consumers of all petroleum
and petroleum products.
Presidents Proclamation
Sfor
under which the proclamation was is
sued, the Presidents order sets forth:
Whereas, it is not possible to move
promptly our abundant supplies of fuel
oil by reason of the traffic congestion
on our railroads and the transfer to
transatlantic service of large number
O. tank steamers ordinarily engaged in
coastwise trade, and it therefore seems
ceslrable that plan Of control be made
effective in case the distributing COM
panies are unable to transport as re-
Quired fuel oil to all consumers now
being served.
Now, therefore, .. hereby
find and determine and by this proca-
nation do announce that it is essential
IN order to carry into effect the pur-
poses Of said act, to license the i'm
portatlsn, manufacture, storage and
distribution of fuel oil to the extent
hereinafter specified. All persons
firms and associations engaged in the
business of both manufacturing and
distributing fuel oil, including gas oil,
whose gross sales amount IN,
more than 100000 barrels per annum.
are hereby required to secure on or be-
lore February II, 1918, license, which
license shall be issued under such rules
and regulations governing the conduct
Of the business as may be pre-
Oil Tankers Cut Down
Nearly one-half of the oil tankers
winch have brought oil from Mexico to
the United States have been withdrawn
from the service, it was said tonight.
10 supply the American and Allied
navies. This has depleted the oil sup
ply in the United States to consider
able extent, and has created a serious
situation in the East. In the West, too
especially in California, consumption is
outstripping production.
In supplying orders on the prcferen-
tlal list, producers and distributors, if
their stocks are not large enough to fill
all orders, will cut off consumers, be-
ginning at the bottom of the list until
orders and their ability to fill them
balance.