The Washington herald., 1918-04-20
v Secretary

The battle made by secretary
Lane to retain his solution OF our
coal problem. after Secretary Baker
and DR.. Garfield began to show
signs of taking the matter in their
charge. will probably never be re-
viewed as a public document.
But there are interesting parts
which the people of the nation are
entitled to-not the least OF which
was the apparently sharp break be-
tween Secretaries Lane and Baker
and the decision of the President
in Secretary Bakers favor.
There are scores of the most as
tUte lawmakers who now insist thar
the Lane remedy would have been sue
cessful, and that if we had followed
the Interior Secretary's ideas from
the outset We would not now be in
the predicament we are and are
likely to continue in for some time
to come. This idea cannot be driven
from the heads OF these lawmakers.
And they point to the tremendous
trouble encountered at every turn
by the Garfield administration, aid
ed by the Baker influence. No mat
disagree with them, or remain nom
oommittal on the point. they in
sist 1T couldn't have been worse
than it was-and II probably would
have been a great deal better"
Not far removed from this ques-
tion is the question of oil as a fuel
and on this point, while the oil
leasing bill happens still to be in
the House Committee. c. w. Bar
ron. a Mexican authority. has sew
eral things of interest to say with
reference to the United States plain
duty. He AYERS that oil is our ulti-
mate fuel. in fact that we'll have to
use it or be eternally out of the
equation.
He makes the further point that
we know nothing of Mexico in this
country now-due to the CarranZa
silence and the disinclination of Of
ficals from this country to mix in
matters there too seriously.
Two years ago we had $1,000
900 barrels Of oil in storage and that
supply diminished greatly in 1911
and is steadily growing smaller
month by month. this year" he says.
He points out the productivity OF
the Kansas. Oklahoma and Texas
oil fields and shows that they are
smaller than happy-go-lucky Amer
ica realizes. He goes on suggest
ing then that we turn for relief tc
Mexico and discusses the subject
in this wise:
I'VE produced 900, 200, 900 tons OF
coal last year. an increase of 90
00O. 900, and of hundred million
over a few years before. But we
were still short of requirements by
10000, 900 tons or less than 10 pei
cent and coal is in unlimited supply
in the United States. 1t can be
safely mined and safely transport
ed, and supply is only a question OF
price and men.
But Mexico presents very com.
plicated situation. 1t is the great
est oil field in the world; Is close
to our doors and has oil to burn
and waste.
"AlI the oil field over which Russian
and Turk, Germans and English are
now contending I'm European Asia
cannot compare in present or poten'
tial output with the oil fields on the
Gulf of Mexico extending north and
south $50 miles along the coast ano
fifty or sixty miles inland. A single
oil well here has produced since 1910
&C, ,0OO, 600 barrels, and its pressure is
undiminished. Its flow Of oil cannot
be restrained below 21,0O0 barrels
day without endangering the sur
rounding country. When further
harnessed in the earth begins to
quake in rebellion. The Casiano well
is surpassed by Cerro Azul few
miles further south brought in two
years ago.
1.-THE company owning these wells
and many others is permitted produc-
tion of only 5000 barrels of oil pei
day because the warning govern
ments have Communicated its steam.
ers, built and building. This concern
produced 100000 last year, only a
part of which went into the United
States. 1t has the pipe lines, pump
ing stations, storage facilities and
loading station to increase its output
to nearly 100000 barrels day and II
could again double that in a few
months by increase of pipe line IA
cilities were there available ship
ping"
States rights, that ground rock
of Democratic faith and subject OF
intef-party discussion. is taken uI
in President Wilson's "Congres,
sional Government" and handled
with an eye to the future (from that
date it was written) as well as the