Cleveland County herald., 1921-01-06
News of the World
OIL THERE, BUT INDIANS AND
 MOUNTAINS ON GUARD
U. s. Engineers Have Hard Problem
 In South American Field.

Washington, Dec. 29. United Press.) .)-The new South American oil field is bringing gray hairs to a group of U. s. engineers. Geologists believe they have discoyered oil in Bolivian district which is flanked on one side by mountains three miles high, and on the other by an un- explored land, inhabited by savage Indians. There are several million acres of American concession in this remote Bolivian field. They are wasted unless the engineers can out wit the Andes Mountains, or the Gran Chaco.
 The Gran Chaco is a wild region to the east of the La Paz district of Bolivia, where the new oil field has been found. A white man crossed it once, they say. But he died in 1850. He was one of the Spanish Conquistadores. Other venturesome gentlemen have attempted the jour ney since, but the Indians got lem. The Andes bulk from 15,000 to IT, 900 feet high, to the west of the field, cutting off access to the Pacific Ocean. No railroads cross the range in this region. Tunnels are impos- sible. But the world needs oil, and American "oil hounds" are on the job, and that, it is said here, means that the Gran Chaco, which has re- sisted the white man from Pizzaro's S day to this, must now be forced to yield.
 A 500-mile pipe line across a neck of the Gran Chaco would carry oil from the La Paz field to a point on the Parana River, and from there it could be tanked to the South Amer ican Atlantic seaboard. U. s. gov ernment field men who have recently returned from this territory say a small army would be needed to fight the Indians while laying the pipe line through their territory, and that constant guard would be necessary along it's entire length to prevent it's destruction.
 Other parts of the new South American oil field offers fewer transportation difficulties, but none, it was said here, have more promis- ing indications of yield than the Bolivian district.
 U. 8. Government trade represen-- tatives, after a years survey of the territory, expressed the belief that an oil field great in area, but as yet of unknown production, extends the length of South America just east of the Andes. Explorers of a dozen countries are scurrying the length and breadth of this region, with American companies easily in the lead, both in the number of parties in the field and in the amount of acreage for which concessions have been obtained.
 Great reticence and secrecy have been maintained by American oil in- terests about their South American prospects and accomplishments. Gov ernment reports here indicate, how ever, that American concessions are so extensively scattered through ev- cry possible field in South America that wherever the t'big gush" comes, oil men from this country will proba- bly, be in position to control the largest acreage of any foreign group
 All South American countries are chary of permitting outright sale to foreigners of oil land rights, accord ing to information here Conces-- sions permit the holder, under gov ernmental regulations, including a tax of a percentage of production, only to lease the land for prescrib- ed number of years with rights of lease-renewal.