The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-01-26
INCREASED USE OF !. OIL FUEL BY U. s. VESSELS IS PLAN
Details of Proposals Tenta- lively Accepted Being Worked Out-Oil Real
 Solution of Problem
By AySoelated PfesS

Washington, January 25.-Plans
 looking to vastly increased use of oil
 fuel by American merchant vessels
 have been developed al conferences be-
 tween heads of the larger oil produc
 ing interests, ship owners and repre-
 sentatives of the shipping board. John
 H. Rosseter, director of operations for
 the board. said today that details of the proposals tentatively accepted were being worked out preliminary to action toward the establishment of additional oil bunkering facilities at various ports and cooperation with the oil produc- CTS to assure steady supply of fuel. 'Oil fuel is the real solution of the
 American merchant marine problem,
 MT. Rosseter said. in outlining the
 policy under development What Is
 chiefly necessary is complete co-opera
 tion of the various enterprises and in
 terests concerned, and during the last
 few days we have succeeded in reach
 ing an understanding, l believe, with the oil producers, preliminary to pur- chasing further. It will be manifestly uneconomic to establish new bunker age facilities in ports where they now are available. and yet it will be nec- essary to widen the facilities for oil supply vessels. We have consequently
 
 plants vii be operating in conjunction with the system the board is contem- plating establishing.
 GATHERING DATA
 Next, the question of price and the supply to bunkers has been gone over, with results approaching satisfaction. The data as to necessary new construc- tion and costs is being gathered pre- paratory to reporting to the board. Our
 work so far, of course. has been pre- lir,irary only, as the board has power to commit only itself to the enterprise. "The importance of oil fuel to the future of the American merchant ma rine believe, cannot be overrated. It means the difference between success and failure, in short The increased st canning radius given to vessels oper ating with oil as against those oper- ating with coal, the reduction in size of crews, and the elimination of delays and loading costs are some of the con- alterations. Finally the operation of ships with coal as fuel especially through the tropics. means that black gangs must be maintained in the boiler holds. working under conditions that eventually drive out white men. This tends to the monopolization of these trades by nations whose shipping laws allow the employment on board ves- seis of Lascars, Chinese and Asiatics generally. against which American law stands as an effectual bar.
 Fuel oil supply can be assured under present conditions for long distance in the future, though this is one of the points on which we are as- sembling data. Eventually we may hope probably for some cooperation on land, | which would forbid the use of oil in power plants where hydro-ele power IS available, and a general con- servation programme in favor of oil utilization in tfe most necessary place. on the sea Naturally, some of the con ditions of the problem have not yet been established. but personally I am most hopeful of successful policy be- l ing established in the near future"