The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-05-28
Patriotism of Oil Men.

Patriotism of Oil Men.
Omar X. Benedict, in The Tulsa
World: When the future historians
chronicle the names OF American
men who have materially aided in
winning the war-men who have
sacrihced personal interests to help
the United States governmcnt-the
names of many mid-contincnt oil
men will head the list.
. II is admitted by the war de-
partment and the navy department
that oil is one of the most (if not
the most) important factors in win
ming the war
Millions and millions Of barrels
of oil are needed for fuel for ships,
and millions and millions Of gallons
of gasoline are needed Tor army
trucks and airplanes, to say nothing
Pf the vast quantities OF lubricating
bills.
Constant Stream of Crude.
| Here at home, within a radius of
one hundred miles OF Tulsa, engines
bin the pipeline pump stations are
blicking away every minute OF the
"a hours of the day, sending a con-
stant stream OF crude petroleum 10
the Atlantic seaboard, for the use
of the United States ships and the
ships of the allied nations. The oil
that ends its journey on the battle
front in France starts from Tulsa
and its immediate territory, and this
Stream of fuel has been urIinterrupt-
ed in its steady flow from the pools
OF Oklahoma and Kansas to the
east.
We read a good deal about the
congestion Of the railroads and the
inability to obtain coal where It is
needed for shipping purposes on
the Atlantic, but never a line has
been printed in the press about the
inability of the pipeline to deliver
its liquid burden, without which the
war could not go on for a week.
There is no congestion il pipe
line. Buried in the earth, out OF the
sight of the its place known only
TO a few, lies perhaps the most i'm
portant instrument which will bring
success to American arms - the
pipelines. And every 50 or % miles
along the route. from the mid-con-
linent field to the coast, IS 4 pump
ing station. Every one OF these
stations must work with cloc&like
regularity or the stream OF oil will
stop. Every piece OF machinery
must be working to perfection, or
the line OF oil would be broken.
But not an hour since the Mar be
gan has there been a lull of its con
stant stream from the center oi the
United States TO the oceans border,
and on across the seas. making pos
sible the success OF the allies and
the American troops.
At times in the past some mighty
hard things have been SAID about .
the oil men. but AZ this time II .
Should be remembered that had not .
these men displayed the foresight
sdness they did in building the pipe
fines. it would have been impossible" .
for the United States TO have en-
cred the war within two OF three /
years before il did.
President Wilson recently stated .
that had 10 not been for the fact .
that the American people were aus
.omobile riders and drivers, and con
sequentlv had made possible the .
building Of enormous auto factor
les. the liberty motor would never .
nave been constructed and the Am .
trican army could never have hoped .
for supremacy in the air; but due .
20 the forward looking men in that .
industry. the factories are here. and .
a standardized liberty motor. the /
best ever conceived By the genius
OF man. belongs to the Ar;ericau .
and it will eventually
turn the tide OF battle OF the United .
States troops and the allied armies.
President Wilson might have gone
a little further and said that hal It
not been for the oil men who laid .
the pipelines years ago. there would
have been no use for the liberty
motor. and neither would :here have
been any fuel for it If i had been
useful. and no supremacy OF the air
for America.
Heroes Of To-day.
The far-seeing pioneers Of the oil
business in the mid-continent field,
who substituted the rapid pipeline .
transportation facilities for tie snail
ike tank cars. are the unheralded
heroes OF today.
They made possible the liberty /