The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-09-16
j. 5. SHIPS
OIL NEEDS
ENORMOUS
American Fields Won't Be
Able to Supply Our
Demands
Nv HARRY u. Hunt

by HARRY H. HUNT
WASHINGTON, Sept it-The
battle for commercial and shipping
supremacy thru the next 20 years
win be waged on sea OF oil
Great Britain. claiming 60 have Sc
cured control OF rs per cent OF all
oil reserves outside the United
states. believes she Is In tactical 20
sition TO win the contest.
Z. =. FACES INCREASINGLY
uNFAvORABl.E CONDITIONS
Tho United States. at the peak Of
Domestic petroleum production. al
ready consuming more than she pro
ouccs. with her demand IN all lines
q industry and transportation in
crcasing daily. may appear 10 face
tncrcasinly unfavorahlc conditions.
Particularly Is this true with re
opect TO her newly acquired mer-
chant marine.
After years OF experimentation,
the mechanical oil burner has been
perfected to the point where oil has
become not only as dependable a
fuel for driving ovean vessels as coal,
but so much more economical In
bunker space. In stocking costs and
IN Increased speed that the coal
burning vessel cannot continue TO
compete on anything like even
terms.
BRITAIN CONVERTS
FLEET TO oil. BURNING
II was knowledge OF what the
mechanical oll-burner could do
aboard ship that caused British po
lisicai leaders and financial captains
% unite in capturing the bulk OF the
oil sources OF the world Without
control OF oil. they say. Britain's
mastery OF the seas was open 20 seri.
Gus threat. With this control now
accomplished. work IL being pushed
~ rapidly as possible in converting
Rrttain's merchant marine from a
coalburning to an oii.burning fleet.
Just what this means In efficiency
and economy can best be understood
by taking test case.
Tho observation-disclosures steamer
Arizona sailed. under coal. from Phil.
adelphia via the Straits of Magellan
tn Hawaiian ports and hack. Then
she was equipped with oil burners
and made n second trip over the iden.
teal route. The results.
C.inx zeal. the voyage consumed
lss dsyss with oil. fsi days . .sv-
Ing Of IS days in time.
Eighteen day. of this was scesm.
0flaHND n <rj
quteker bunkeripx.
The number Of men required In the
Slreesstd was reduced from 10 to TO-
Cost Of viefasiinx the crew va. re-
ssced ss.sia and wages and other en-
Disbursements 81 fseiinx port. we've
0.ees is--. and Si.s7s WAS xsined In
reveuue from greater cargo space.
The total gains and savings wer~
vis.5ds. esusi 10 IN increase In net
prOsits Of 20 per cent.
Equally with British shipping in
terests. the United states shipping
board was Impressed with the neces
sity OF making It's new merchant fee,
an oil-burning fleet II IL was TO win
the new place in world shipping 70
which Uncle Sam asplrcs
BIG PROGRAM or
SHIPPING BOARD
As result program was laid
down calling for the equipping of
liza shipping board vessels "a oil
burners. changes to be complete by
1872.
Government oil statisticians e.tI.
mate that II the shipping board pro.
gram Is carried thru in full the an.
nual petroleum requirements Of our
merchant feet within the next three
years will be between 1000. O0o and
oo.0oo.o0o barrels.
1T IL quite improbable. = the chief
81 Uncle Sans oil biologists says
that an annual petroleum produc.
Don Of $4,000. 900 barrels can be won
rom our domestic oil fields.
"A British oil economist calculates
that by 1925 the petroleum require
ments Of the United States will ex
coed s00.0oo.00o barrels.
Unless conservation OF oil thru
curtailmenf OF use IL forced auto
maticaIly by scarcity and consequen,
prohibitive prices. we shall by 1925
be dependent on foreign oil fields "a
the extent OF $50 900 600 or 200. 900
900 barrels each year.
Except for such relief as may
come thru conservation and from
shale oil production. Americas fu
ture in oil will become more and
more completely dependent on sup
plies to be brought from foreign
fields.
This we can not evade. and must
prepare for"
m nDcDATlnkI 10