Evening star., 1920-11-19
OIL MEN CONCLUDE
BUSINESS SESSIONS
Prominent Speakers to Ap-
pear at Closing Banquet
at the Willard Tonight.

More than 400 representatives or
Americas oil industry. gathered in
Washington for the first annual meet
ing of the American Petroleum Insti-
tute. concluded their business ses-
sions this afternoon. and will adjourn
after banquet at the Willard this
evening. where Norman n. Davis.
undersecretary of state. will be the
principal speaker.
Ambassador Thomas A. lie Breton
Of Argentina will speak on the future
development of the South American
oil industry. and the other speakers
viii be Victor Murdock. chairman of
the Federal Trade Commission, and
PRESIDENT Pat Malloy of the Western
Petroleum Refiners' Association.
Defense of Mexico's Position.
Defense of Mexico's position in the
oil industry was made before the in
stitute by r. V. Pesqueira. representa-
tive of the Mexican provisional gov
crnment in Washington. this after
noon, when he was heard in response
to his personal request yesterday. He
took issue with Frederic r. Kellog.
general counsel for Mexican Petro-
1eum and Associated Companies. who
spoke Wednesday on the Mexican oil
question and made reference to the
discredited Carranza confiscatory
scheme
In discussing conservation before
the institute this afternoon NJ. L. Re-
qua. vice president of the Sinclair
Consolidated Oil Corporation. said
program of conservation or the gov
errment would be compelled to act.
He added that he had horror of
government control.
1T is not a question of ignoring a
condition. added Mr Requa but
of f.hnnSiper n he
followed. For we shall regardless of
our wishes. be forced to follow some
road-either that of industrial CO.
operation and conservation or of gov
ernment dictation.
Government aid may be required.
when it is. it can be asked for; but
The task is emphatically one for the
industry itself to perform, if it is to
be done efficiently and properly. And
so long as it is done efficiently and
well, there is neither cause nor juSti-
fication for governmental interfer-
ence.
Because / havA seen the tragic in
efficiency and ws4 of governmental
Washington, / ant convinced that the
petroleum industry can most efficient
ly perform its service through self
government and regulation, asking
for legisla ton only to make more ef-
fective rational activities. I have a
horror of government control or SUI
UeTNlSlOH. save III It's UIOducSl tCi
because l know that it spells less
efficiency on the part of the petro-
leum industry; but it is obvious that
that control will be exercised if We
fail in selfgovernment."
Californian Criticises Navy.
Thomas A. O'Donnell of California.
president of the institute, at the ses-
sion late yesterday severely criticised
the Navy Department. charging that
.4y- T., u h n oil
lands for the Navy reserve where
development had been started. result
Eng in heavy losses on investments.
1.-THE oil producers of the Pacific
coast" said Mr.. O'Donnell. feel that
the Navy Department has not been
fair with the producers of the west.
We believe this to be due to the ex-
treme prejudice of the head of the
Navy Depa artment. While an armistice
has been signed with the Germans, no
armistice has been offered to the oil
producers by the Navy Department"
of the oil shortage on the Pacific
coast-the most serious anywhere in
the country-the producers there
have had to contend with "a most de-
plorable situation. the withdrawal OF
public lands, with active drilling in
progress and many millions of dol
lars already invested. which brought
about years of expensive and exhaus-
tive litigation"
a naval reserve was created on
these lands two years ago. after the
development had started" continued
Mr.. O'Donnell "and unjust public
opinion created by constant publicity
promoted a general belief that the
plutocratic oil producer of the west
was trying to steal something from
our Navy"
Mr.. O'Donnell asserted that agita-
tion by government officials and pol
iticians was as dangerous as gov
-rnment regulation and interference.
1t destroys ability. credit and conf
dence as to the future, he declared