The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-03-28
In the Oil Fields
)idridnd Back from

N president Mariand aivc/ below his
n r.t statement since his return IRON
8sNIco on his views OF the oil busl-
y -s In that country.
a Tho statement is taken from Mt.
Auland's discussion OF his Trip with
IN, board OF directors OF Marland
lEdning company last Saturday:
N N have no statement to make re-
n rdiup the policies OF Marland Rc-
&rlpg Company and Kay County
Il as company in connection with the
I development of the acreage recently
4 e1uired by me in Mexico. Whether
Z hose companies will enter that field
n 10 depend largely upon the attitude
3rli may be assumed by our govern
MONT toward American oil companies
3coking sources of supply outside of
H. United States.
II while in Mexico found in my
A l.ts to President Carran1a and the
3unisters of the various depart
i rcnts. as well as minor government
ficttls, a consistent. government
II nlIcy with regard to the develop
n cnt OF oil in that country. That
porcy. I'm my Judgment. is sound and
sasonablc and not inimical to the
MArcsts Of the American oil com
<iT'Upon my return home after five
srouths spent in Mexico and South
tNmerica with "A large party OF geolo-
2,l.ts and land men, where at great
u nauClal cost, as well as personal
llardships and inconvenienccs, We
Aoupht for new sources OF supply or
Il rude for our own companies profit
i nd The betterment OF our national
i uudition regarding fuel supply,
u ound our own government. accord
q ng TO press reports, in distinctly
hostile attitude toward oil companies
ayho would not supply them with
6-ueI oil at less than It's real value
frhis attitude, which is probably due
10 the inability of our own govern
emcnt officials to size up tho fuel oil
4 tuation correctly, will. If not very
boon changed deter our American
euu men from entering foreign fields
\ nd upon which II will be almost
wholly dependent in the near future.
Companies owned by European
i capitalists and the national banks
fpf European governments are al
Arcady In control of the most valuable
fnroductive areas In Mexico and
4Sauth America and are constantly
b. reaslng their holdings against the
weak competition that is being Of
tered by American oil companies un-
4 1supported and not even encouraged
ily their own government Were 1t
/ not for the splendid enterprise -
the Standard oil subsidiaries South
America would not know that the
speople of the United States were in
he oil business.
IL am keenly interested in the
problem that confronts our govern
ment and the industries of our ma
lion regarding the future supply OF
fuel oil. l would very much like to
help in the solution of that problem
upon which the continuance of our
national welfare depends, by devot-
ng "A large part of my energies and
capital in that direction, but / can
not in justice to my friends, part
ners and stockholders in my bust
4 ness employ their capital In this en-
7 terprise until know fully whether
7 our government intends to confiscate
ftho oil produced by American COM
panies or buy 1t at price warrant
ed by the laws OF supply and de-
mand
I'm our own country the business
of producing oil is sufficiently haz-
ardous. II is probable that over a
hundred companies seek to produce
oil profitably where only one sue
cceds. Under such conditions it is
ridiculous to impose an excess profit
tax on that successful one. II is
ridiculous to say to him that he may
not charge more FOR the products
OF his wells than a reasonable profit
over the cost of production. Such
taxation and regulation might be
reasonable and proper in other lines
Of enterprise, but when applied to