The Alaska daily empire., 1919-10-04
Oil Is Power
(New York Times) ]

Today oil king, because it is suppanting coal in land and transportation, and it's uses manifold in industry and rapidly increasing. The nation without reserves of oil must falter in the competitive struggle, and it cannot wage war In vestigating Mexican relations MT. Edward L. Dohent said that he learned in Europe that the British Government had acquired 65 per cent of the inter- ests of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, which con- trols 5000 square miles of rich oil territory II was said years that "wherever petroleum is met with Englishmen to be found' British subjects of Hong Kong were, trying to obtain concessions of oil fields in China in the last century They wing with Americans today in developing oil ter rtory in Mexico probably the richest in the world in the Admiralty, urges that coal be discarded al together in favor of oil British warships, and chant marine absolutely rests in the internal com bustion engine MT. Doheny, oil king himself said to the Senate Committee:
 The German Government, learn, is
 planning to acquire the Black Sea oil fields.
 The President of the British Board of Trade
 that the Governments policy acquire
 oil fields wherever possible throughout the world. The importance of oil is fully
 ognized by all the great Governments.
 unless it be our own. A ton of oil used
 used in internal combustion engine, it
 is equal to six of coal.
 In table published by the National Fuel Ad- minstration in 1918 it forth that this coun try marketed 335,315,061 barrels of crude petrol cum containing forty-two gallons in 1917 Russia Mexico's at 55,292,770, and then the Dutch West Indies with 12,92S,955 barrels, India with S,0OU,UUO Galdc1a With 5,9b5,44I Japan and For mosa with 2,S9S654, Rumana with 2,6S1 ,S70, and Peru with 2,533,417 Other countries in the list producing smaller quantities were Trinidad, Argen tina, Egypt, Germany Canada, and Italy. Persia which promises to be leader in production was not mentioned at all Since 1917 oil has gushed in vast quantities from wells in California, Oklahoma Texasc, and other States of the Union, the table of the Fuel Administration has become obsolete All the world is boring for oil and as it is found on every continent, there be valuable reser- gors untapped MT Doheny estimates that there will be 15 ,oo0 OOO internal combustion engines in United wo md balf times as many as there Perhaps he may De right when he says that the United States will not be able to supply the oil needed ten years But he may be mistaken It has been estimated perhaps loosely, that the of oil in the American States is 1000 900 000 barrels the total production up to 1918 4,255 00O. 900 barrels The estimate does not include shale oil, that is to States Guy Elliott Mitchell of the United States Geological Survey has 'estmated that the oil in he shale regions of Colorado alone amounts to 2O- ,0o,o0O,ooo barrels Other Western States abound ng in oil rock are Nevada, Wyoming Montana md California. The State Geologist of Colorado speaks of content" of 36000, ,OO0OO0 barrels for hat State In article in the National Geographic Journal for February, 1918, Mr. Mitchell made the
 The production of oil in this country
 instead of decreasing, will continue to grow
 u it will even, because the shale resources
 greatly increase its present output of 340-
 900, 900 barrels year. and will keep pace tgs with the enormous increasing demand
 This sanguine statisician promises "a supply of asoline for many generations to come" On the liner hand, MT. Doheny declares that the supply to
 
 929 will not be found i'll the United States But Mexico will supply the deficiency according to this authority, who that the present full capacity f wells already drilled in Mexico is 1000 bar els a day, which is more than the present pro iucing capacity of the United States. It is com orting to know that 80 per cent of the crude oil and in the Tampico district belongs to Americans
 Obviously, the United States cannot allow Mex co to confiscate, by taxation otherwise, oil in- erests to which American citizens can show a legal tile It is equally clear that Great Britain which as little oil territory in the colonies, will stand by ts concession holders in Mesopotamia and Persia md that Germany will not refrain from using it's bower. or from intriguing, to control Russian oil ields. The United States possesses petroleum re- sources that should supply it's needs for term of discarding the possibilities of shale oil pro- iuetion, but even the United States cannot afford o neglect any rights its citizens have acquired in Mexico. Petroleum and its numerous products are % valuable to be overlooked wherever the crude oil nay be found and clamed' Self-preseryation ra uires that Great Britain shall support Britons who 'wn oil lands in Mexico, and the prize in Persia 'eem to belong legitimately to British subects iermany, if it is to cut any figure as trading ma ion, or go to war again, have oil in vast luantities. No nation can be in material 'ay unless it commands ample resources of petrol