The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-29
CHEMISTS MAY
 MAKE PETROLEUM
BY HOLLAND.

BY HOLLAND.
 New York, April 2S,-( Special )-Is , t possible that already science has penetrated the mystery of natures process whereby crude petroleum Is produced beneath the soil? A few days ego the suggestion was made by one of Americas ablest men of science that the alarming petroleum situation In the United States might be ended Dy means of the synthetic production of petroleum by artificial process
 Now information has been received from one who was formerly of the pat ent office at Washington and is now esteemed man of excellent reputation as chemist, intimating that in all probability science has discovered how artiflcially to unite carbon and hydro- gen in the propor9on of eighty parts tcf corban and twenty parts of hy- drogen, these being the proportionate parts which. when combined, make crude petroleum. This chemist, all though not now occupied in scientific work, reports that he is convinced that science will within few years, and perhaps speedily. be able to remove the anxiety which prevails in the oil industry lest our petroleum supplies be exhausted or at least lest we be compelled to import crude petroleum in greater amount than the aggregate production of 1t in the United States.
 This man goes farther, saying that he has excellent reasons for surmising that the process has already been dis covered. His information is that sam ries of artificially made petroleum were recently sent to the Bureau of Standards at Washington for tests, Inquiry at the bureau was followed by the statement that the samples have not yet been received. probably having been lost upon the way
 There seems to be no reason why even an amateur may not discover the process. notwithstanding the opinion which some chemists have given that f Is impossible to duplicate by artif- cial means natures process for mak- ing petroleum.
 Many of the most important recent discoveries of artificial production of commoditfes by, synthetic chemistry were made by men who. if they had needed some of the experts. would have abandoned the attempt. As, for fn- stance, Perkins. lad of IT years, not schooled sby the text books or by the teaching authorities, nevertheless, in his own way. paying no heed to prece- dents. at last discovered how to pro- cure mauve dye from coal tar. The Germans took up the process, after the young Perkins discovery, and became dominant in the dye industry of the world. But the Germans did no more than expand the methods which were discovered by vounr Perkins.
 LORD KELVIN'S DOUBT
 When it was known that Edison purposed solving the problem which, if solved. would show how to divide the electric current and make 1t avail able for. general lighting purposes, so great an authority as Lord Kelvin said that he did not believe that it could be done Other experts were of like opinion. but Edison. self trained, ig- roring the precedents when he found that they were of no avail. persevered until at last he lighted the world with his divisible electric current. On the files of the patent office at Washing ton there is at this day an applica- ton for patent for the utilization of carbide calcium for the manufacture of an artificial gas by synthetic proc ess. The application was made by man who had no other training than that which he gave to himself. Tho application was denied because the patent office believed the proposition was impossible Yet within five years Wilson took 1t up. continued itehim- self a self-trained man. and at last gave the world acetylyn gas. secured Ky synthetic chemistry. If it be true that a process has been discovered for ;he manufacture of crude petroleum by synthetic chemistry. then again will be furnished an illustc cation of the fact that it is not always the experts who . chieve greatly with chemistry. For the understanding Is that this process was discovered by young men who were for the most part self-trained.
 SIR MACKAY EDGAR'S
 nnEnTCTTnN
 There is no question but that the recent statement mads by Sir Mackay Edgar, in which he intimated that it would be necessary for the United States within ten years to buy an enor- faous quantity of petroleum from England, has attracted great attention among the leaders of the oil industry Sir Mackay predicts that our Amer ican reflners will be compelled to buy at least 800. .000. 900 barrels of crude petroleum a year if tkey are to meet the demands which is made for petro- leum products. If they are compelled 70 pay as much as $2 a barrel for this [ retroleum then they will send to Eng land in the course of a year $1,000,000,- eco
 Were it not for the high authority which Sir Mackav has secured as an expert, perhaps little heed would be Y port of his statement las been studied, there grows suspicion that he may ret have said half of all that was really in his mind. about England's dominating the worlds supply of pe- troleum, and especially dominating the o,l industry in the United States. For t is assumed that as England must 70 to central Europe. to Russia, to the Far East to Mesopotamia ano to South America for her petrt leum resources, t will be impracticable commercially to transport crude retroleum from those far-off fields to the United States higher for May and 4 to net higher for other leading months. Sales, 20,700 barrels. Prime crude, $15.50 asked prime summer yellow, spot. $1S.70; May. $1s.90; July, s19.12; October, $18.50; prime winter yellow and sum mer white nominal.