The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-07-30
REPRESENTATIONS MADE ID BRITAIN
 ON OIL POLICIES
Much Confusion Over Re ported Agreements Be- tween France and Eng
 land on Asia Minor
By Associated ~reu

Washington July 29-An official statement from the state department today disclosed that representations have been made to the British govern- ment regarding it's policy touching the exploitation of oil fields and the distri- button of oil from mandate countries. The subject had been discussed infor- mally between the department and Sir Auckland Geddes the British ambassa- dor here. and the American embassy in London also is believed to have been gathering information on the subject,
 The exchanges between the two gov- errments on the oil question are under stood to have begun to take on more formal character more than a month ago which was not in any sense pro- test, for the state department at that time had little beyond press reports upon which to work, but was rather in- tended to develop the intentions of the British in regard to the oil fields of Mesopotamia and perhaps some of the Balkan countries
 MUCH CONFUSION
 good deal of confusion exists in of ficial circles here as to the nature of agreements reported to have been made between Great Britain and France and perhaps other entente countries regard ing the distribution of oil in Asia Minor ' by this government as to pre-war agree ments and the extent of governmental control over the oil fields distin- guished from undertakings arranged by private oil interests which occupy a diff ferent status from an international standpoint.
 Assertions have been made and taken notice of by the state department that the arrangements now being made for tha cf ri rihiItiou nf oil haf ba ol lied countries are in line with the plans formed by the economic conference. an outgrowth of the peace conference in Paris from which the United States government withdrew when the Senate withheld it's approval of the peace treaty. That conference projected a continuation in the period after the war of the system of joint control of the production and distribution of raw materials under which these materials were rationed among the entente na- tions until normal conditions should be restored in the economic world
 RATIONING UNNECESSARY
 While readily subscribing to the original agreements as very necessary war measures, the Washington govern ment is understood to have resisted the appeals of the entente powers to con- tinue in the combination now that the war has ended, holding that there is no longer necessity for any such system of rationing and that the ordinary forces of business law should be si lowed to prevail.
 As petroleum is one of the most im- portant of these raw materials which was ratloned during the war, and in view of the rapid diminution of this |eountry's supply, naturally the govern ment here has felt it necessary to omit no effort to maintain the open door for oil consumers of all nationalities, no matter where the oil fields might be located. As indicated in the official statement made today, however, the in . quiry at this stage principally is di- rected to oil produced in what are known as mandate countries. Offi- cials realized that as to what which is produced within the British, French or Italian dominions. or in Rumania, the governments of those countries might properly exercise control over exports, But the case is different as to mandate countries, in view of the state depart ment. for under the peace treaty it was stipulated that the powers assuming mandates over territories formerly gov erned by the central powers but sep arated from them by the treaty as a h esult of the war. should show no ids crimination in the exploitation of nat ural resources. It is on this point, among others. the Senate department is said to desire information.