New-York tribune., 1920-05-26
G5eudes Denies
Britain Seeks
Oil Monopoly
Ambassador Also Asserts
Charges of Efforts 10
Pool the War Debt Are
Without Any Foundation
Speaks at Pilgrim Dinner
Nation Desires Peace and
to Bring Order Out of
Chaos, Insists Diplomat

Sir Auckland Geddes, the British
ambassador. speaking last night at
the RITZ Carlton. where he was the
principal guest at a dinner of the Pill
-rims Of the United States, denied
vigorously that Great Britain was seek
ing to monopolize the worlds supply of
fuel oil.
Charges that Great Britain harbored
such intentions, he said, were as com
p.etely without basis in fact as state
nonts that the empire was moved by
mH.tarist c impulses. Sir Auckland
spoke solenlnly. pausing between each
sentence.
Il say without fear of informed
criticism. Sir Auckland declared, that
British foreign policy is directed
against 10 man, but is inspired by the
desire to seek peace, TO bring order out
Of chaos, to extend the boundaries of
freedom, to improve the lot of the op-
pressed and to increase the material
prosperity Of the world.
That IS our program; those are
the prime pies by which I, as British
representative in this land, am guided
from deE 20 day
Denies War Debt Pool
The Ambassador also discussed re
ports tha- the British government was
trying 20 pool the war debts Of Europe,
and 20 drag you the United States
into the pool
you may seek far and vide for evi-
cence on which that statement could
be based, he said. You VIII not find
it, If you look closely you VIII find
MY government trying 70 pour oil on
me troubled waters Of Europe and you
will also find oniookers who seize the
oil as 1t : poured and throw il on the
tres of antl-Brltlsh feeling here.
i realize that traditional hatred
and ancient grudges die hard. l think
-1tTgs b,.- do ~iead v;tI lach and
all u ~ealize that. If they have oil to
pour, hey Will better serve their day
and generation and the cause Of al
humanity by selecting troubled waters
70 receive their libation and avoiding
-mOu.dering fires
/. answering what he characte rized
- wild duck" publications as to
British purposes, the Ambassador dealt
frs with the British navy. saving that
wnile more than 1000 ships. including
four battle cruisers. were under CON
structjon when the armistice was
signed. one cruiser the Hood. too far ad
vauced to permit cancellation. was the
,y major ship completed
We have not at present single
capital ship building, or completing
ma not one ship, large or small. has
been laid down since the arrniscice." he
aid
The British army and air force had
hscn even more drasticalIv" dealt
with. Sir Auckland continued ard
added:
"4e is no business Of mine to compare
-.ase facts with the corresDonding ac-
ian of an, o+har na+ione hut ISL
,-au Who know yourselves In he non
,rilitarist if YOU are tented to think
England militarist."
D. ~, CT,
discusses oli supply
The ambassador, after referring to
reports in some newspaper or maga-
-.ne that Britain has acquired an oil
99nopo.y and proposes to hold the
rorld 20 ransom" said 70 per cent Of
the worlds oil output was from Amer
lcan soil and Is per cent from Mexico
American canital controlling three
-ourths of The Mexican yield. In addi-
,,o ol ~ a. 1eas+ Zen otb., co,,,+,.;os
bu, regardless of those onerations he
concluded "you bsve So ne~ cent o.
the present world sunnlv of oil under
Your control"
Nov for the ALLEGED oil mononolis+. -
ne Ambassador continued THE Brit
ish Empires total production is about
ola per cent of tba world's sunnl,,
Whlle the supply Of Persian oil. Which
is controlled bv British cani+al is
abou. > per cent. British companies
have also some production in Burma,
but the total is relatively small.
In time Of emergency British in
terests controlled about 5 per cent of
the worlds output. Do these figures
suggest monopoly for Britain %
1T had been said" Sir Auckland
continued that Britain sought rights
over undeveloped OIL and a future
monopoly through control of Baku,
Batum, Palestine and Mesopotamia
Britain owned none of these, he said
and over Palestine and Mesopotamia
would have. under Turkish treaty pro
posals, mandate that would place her
IN the same relationship toward those
. Libsria--a best friend. a big
Wy . "' oi"ue"