Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-06-17
Especial 10 The Times pispatch.I

t-fS>"i W L Ho 1lmcS- sJ1SDatCH.I
WASHINGTON. juno 16.-Promise is
given that there will be no gasoline
shortage during the period Of the war
and that the use OF pleasure automo-
biles, Industrial motors. motor boa Is
and farm machinery using combustion
engines will not be curtailed on ac-
count of government embarsoes against
gasoline consumption
This assurance is based upon the fact
mat the output of gasoline will not
only DC as large as at present. but
that In all likelihood It will be steadily
increased as the war proceeds. This
does not mean. however. that the price
or gasoline will remain stable or Will
be reduced. The chances are that it
VIII be slightly increased. but this IN
crease will not become prohibitive.
These unqualified statements are
made upon the authority of officials
In the oil division Of the Federal :ucl
administration. The President has
placed tho entire oil industry in the
hands OF DR.. Garfield. the fuel admin
istrator. along with the coal Industry.
DR. Garfield. in turn. has turned tine
oil end of the fuel administration over
to Mark l. Requa. a practical oil, pro-
surrounded himself with group OF
the most successful oil experts in The
country Supporting this staff Is the
National Petroleum War Service Com
mittee. OF which A. C. Bedford. prrsi-
dent OF the STANDARD Oil Company. Is
the chairman.
SHORTAGE WOULD SPELL
NATIONAL. CALAMITY
From time TO time during the past
twelve months more or less alarming
rumors have been current to the eff
feet that the available supply OF gaso-
line was running short; that the re-
serve stocks had been seriously de-
pleted. and that the government would
soon find It necessary TO restrict the
private use OF this product in order to
conserve the output for strict war pur-
poses. These stories were alarming
for the reason that they involved the
use OF nearly 5000 900 privately owned
the use of more than
l 100000 commercial motors. ard the
use Of tens OF thousands of motor-boats.
tractors, pump engines and other gas
propelled machines.
If tho supply OF gasoline should be
cut or suddenly or even reduced to
point where only enough were avail
able to meet government demands. the
loss TO the country would be stagger
Ing and the distress would be as VILE
spread as the boundaries Of the ma
ton itsel. And aside from tho losees
sustained by the individual owners of
cars or boats or tractors. the whole
automobile manufacturing industry
would be paralyzed.
Happily. however. tho country faces
no such possibility, certainly not In
the Immediate future. Enormous guam
titles OF gasoline will be produced just
as long as the war continues. provided.
Of course the petroleum fields hold out.
Many American fields are dry already.
but the great Mexican fields at Tam
p'co and Tuxpan have scarcely been
tapped and can be relied upon for al
most unlimited oil supplies X the
friendly relations between this country
and Mexico remain undlsturbed.
LITTLE LIKELIHOOD OF
RESTRICTIONS ON USE
When the oil question. with particu-
lar reference to the future supply Of
gasoline. was put to the officials OF
the fuel administration. they unhesi-
declared that the volume OF
gasoline would be sufficient to meet all
reasonable demands upon 1t and that
there was no prospect OF rigid restric-
tons against Its use by pleasure as
we'll as business motors These officials
would dcplore any waste of this pro-
duct or even prodigality In its use. but
with reasonable economy they feel that
tho supply will meet all requirements.
And their explanation OF the matter
Is this: gasoline is by-product. pure
and simple. 1t Is now raw" In the
sense that 1t Is pumped straight from
the ground. 1t is tho substance ex-
tracted from fuel oil in the process of
refinement and it must be extracted
from fuel oil before the latter Is avail
able for use.
FOR STORING
GASOLINE INADEQUATE
The wars demand for fuel oil has
increased enormously within the past
lew months and will continue to In
crease az moro and moro oil-burning
merchant and naval ships are put in
commission. This oil therefore simply
must be produced and every time there
Is an increase OF, say. 100000 gallons
a month In fuel oil. there is CORES
PoHuihS case III tue supply OF Ea8-
oline. Obviously this gasoline cannot
be permitted to go TO waste. 1t is as
imperatively demanded in one direction
as fuel oil is in another. Moreover, it
is further explained that it Is impossi-
Die TO store any great quantity OF gas
oline. There are not the facilities for
such storage. This means that i. must
be piped away from tho ref reries al
most as fast as 1t Is produced and
must be put upon the market imme
diately.
This indicates very clearly that there
Will be no gasoline famine during the
period OF the war, and 1t shows how
1t has been possible for production. SO
far. to keep pace with the greatly in.
creasfl consumption all over the coun-
try. And 1t explains to .omo extern,
why the retail price Of gasoline has
remained almost stationary for many
months. whereas prior TO the war there
was series of sharp advances which