Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1920-05-15
BRITISH C0bB[E
Of WORLDS OIL
BLAMED ON j. s.
Foreign Trade Council
ToldGovernmentSl Slept;
u. S. Merchant Marine
Depends on Yards.

San Francisco, May 14.-There Is not
going to be a famine of gasoline and
other petroleum products in the United
states, A. c. Bedford, chairman of the
board of the Standard Oil company, of
New Jersey, told the seventh annual ma
tional foreign trade convention here.
There may be, however, a possible
shortage at some points before the sum
mer automobile touring season is over"
he said. "The fact is that there is a
shortage of crude oil just now, which
oil must be curtailed. Production in the
United States had for long time been
close to what must be the peak unless
some new field of Importance is dis
covered"
Says Government Doesn't Back.
Lack of government support to Amer
leans in foreign fields has been disastrous
to the industry, he said. Referring to
British gaining control of the worlds
future oil supply, he said:
While We in this country have rested
in fancied security in the possession of
some o-thirds of the worlds produc-
non OF petroleum, our stolid, phlegatic,
but wide awake cousins across the water
have been actively bent on getting q
mortgage upon much of the potential
production, not only outside the United
States, but actually within few miles
of this very hall. So securely entrench-
ed do they feel themselves now, that they
have taken to commisserating us on the
distress we are shortly going to. feel
when we cease to be the pre-eminent
petroleum nation and begin paying tri-i
butte to their foresight"
American dollars will go into any
field where there is the remotest posi-
bility Of getting oil IL the state depart
ment will tell the companies what its
policy toward them will be after they
get established. l am speaking for all
the American companies when ] say that
we are not getting square deal in for
eign lands.
"It Is not right TO send men and dol
lars into foreign field with every line
of communication to Washington cut
off"
Merchant Marine Imperative.
An American maritime policy elimin-
ating federal control is necessary for the
development of successful American
1t was stated in a report of
the merchant marine committee of the
read by Welding Ring, of New
York. at the councils session here.
The merchants and mariners of the |
United States should be enabled to COM |
pete with their rivals in other countries |
without government Intervention or su- |
pervision of transportation charges, the |
report said.
There should be no dictation as to |
trade routes, freight charges or methods |
Of management. An unequivocal policy |
must be established. prompted by a pro- |
vision that sales will be made to respon
sible parties of all shipping board yes |
sells at prices determined by present cost |
Of construction of vessels of similar ton
mage and specifications in the best quail |
fled of American shipyards. The For |
aign Trade council already has placed on
record its conviction that American ship |
Yards will be able to provide tonnage at |
rates and under conditions that will |
favorably with those obtained |
n foreign maritime countries"
Exhibit In Orient Urged.
Ring pointed out that where foreign
have advantage of cheaper Ia
Dor. American shipyards are compen
sated by greater efficiency of labor and
steel shipbuilding material is $40 ton
cheaper in this country than abroad.
Delegates from ten Pacific coast COM
mercial organizations made public let
ter to Secretary of Commerce j. w.
Alexander and Admiral w. s. Benson,
chairman Of the shipping board. which
requested that provisions be made for
sending commercial exhibit of United
states products to oriental ports for
purposes. The commercial
organizations requested that the dele
gates be allocated for q seven months
trip TO sixteen ports in the Far East
to display the exhibit. 1t was proposed |
hat the exhibit remain in Shanghai. fol-
lowing the cruise to the other ports,
as a permanent exhibit. The delegates
further proposed to have the American
chamber of commerce in Shanghai pre-
pare similar exhibit of Chinese pro-
1ucts to be carried by the delegates for
display in Pacific coast ports. Train
ng on the proposed trip of one hundred
young men as officers in the merchant
marine and trade emissaries in the Far
East was suggested in the letter.
The number of nations and colonies
% which the United States may send
parcel post matter has increased from
ID to 1S0 since 1918, Otto praeger.
second assistant postmaster general told
luncheon gathering of delegates to
hp convention