El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-06-12
beginning Oh Age

Beginning Oh Age
Coal has been the foundation upon
which the Industrial and financial
supremacy Of the British empire has
been reared We are now at the
commencement OF the on age oil IS
displacing coal as the supremely i'm
pottant fuel OF the present time No
tors are driven By oil and civillza-
ton IS coming more and more TO de-
pend upon motor transport The
upon oil supplies, while It Is not gen
orally realized that in most postwar
ships now building oil and not coal
Is the predominant propulsiVe force
Even the great Atlantic liners built
towards the end OF the coal age are
OF bunker coal has become prohibi-
tive OF the five greatest ships now
aflOat, the Olympic and Acquitania
are at present IN dock undergoing
transformation into oil burners. and
the Mauritania and the Imperator
viii be altered later No new liners
now under construction anywhere
VIII burn coal
Even before the revolution in mer-
upon the navies o. the world Prac-
ticaIly all warships under construc-
ton everywhere viii burn oil The
British navy rules the waves. but in
the future Il must traverse them with
the help Of oil fuel and for the next
decade only one barrel In 50 OF the
oil upon which the existence OF this
country depends win come from Brit
ish territory
These considerations make evident
the determination OF Britain, at the
peace conference and since. 70 get
control OF as many oil fields as pos
sible- II was oil and not @the road
70 india" that led to the hazardous
and enormously expensive campaign
oy which nearly a million OF men
we're poured into the tropical horrors
OF Mesopotamia TO secure that coun-
or annexation. for England
Ihere IS not enough oil In the
world TO 90 around If there IS an
other war in our time between great
powers. II VIII be fought for OIL" an
expert on the worlds oil situation
who IS an official in the board OF
trade here, told the writer England
and France have already CuarreIled
about the Mosul oil fields. France
IS now promised one fourth OF the
output England takes the rest.
Must Have OIL or Perish
England's position at present is
this She depends for her life and
the existence Of her empire on the
sea on her fleet, on her merchant
shipping Since oil is displaclne
-@4- III SHIPS eAe must nave OF. OF
perish she directly controls only
two per cent OF the worlds supply.
she believes that she must have AZ
least 40 per cent OF the total oil nro-
a1cLlon 10 i've. and she would ike
70 nave more Il she can get it. Her
acquisition OF the undeveloped oil
nslds IN Mesopotamia may partially
solve the problem. but not at once.
Tor the opening OF wells. building 81
pipe lines and railways necessary 10
make Aesopotamian oil available VIII
take at least 10 years
During that time most OF the use-
giving fluid viii have 10 be Imported
rom foreign soil Mexico and Per-
sia are the two great sources OF sun
ply from which this country drawz
ana expects 10 continue to draw I'm
A-esopotamia IS open II is from
these fields that the. bulk OF ofi ~
the empire now comes.
geometry brlta1n was aba 70 call
upon the United States for on mis-
Is no longer possible. for the demand
~ america now exceeds the supply.
We use now IN the United Staass
according TO the geoIoricsI su---e-'
-nlSs as much oil as the rest OF ne
= ef-4 combined some 4000.0 600 hz~
Lsls year, and IN Washington IL il
estimated that the United States -
- present rate OF consumption has
o--g Is years TO get out OF TIRE
ground all the American on. eo7re-
quentiy either the United states rnnsf
decrease its consumption OF INV
NOE on rom outside. Every barrel
Z /, - " c-is-sed elsewhere for use In
America must be bought in co7-,s-
tition with the British.
Looking Ahead in HIerfeo
england has achieved her o-aas-
ness n the world markets BY fstri--
io-s t-eWa- der statesmen are look
ing ahead In Mexico. Thew are hs--f--
iiins TO fear that. while the subisre
mas probably not yet been consfd- =
cred in Washington. the United
states may find il necessary. within
the next decade or two 70 put an
embargo on the export OF oil from
Continued on page ID. column -