The Washington herald., 1921-01-02
BATTLE FOR OIL
RIGHTS IS WAGED
.fsis
$. ON GREEK FRONT
American and British In
terests Seek Control
In Immature Field.
By CLARENCE X. STREET.


front in the worldwide struggle
between the Standard Oil Company
and the British companies for con-
troll Of the oil supply is becoming
astiye with representatives OF
both sides concentrating at Athens
their objective being concessions in
the Thracian and Macedonian ter
ritory given Greece by the treaty
OF sevres. The treaty has not been
ratified and the political situation
as a result of King Constantines
return, is unsettled, but the oil
men are not waiting for the ground
door 10 be built before securing
their places on it
A very low grade Of oil has been
discovered at Janina, Zante Island,
and -Suhi, in Thrace and wells have
been sunk at these places but as
yet there is virtually no produc-
tion anywhere in Greece. How
ever, the presence of asphalt and
on seepags in various parts Of the
country, especially in Thrace and
Macedonia, encourages the belief
on is to be found by those who
can get the right to prospect for II
from the Greek government. 1t
Germs are now struggling.
Three Giant Rivals in Field.
The combatants now in the field
are such giants in the oil world
as the Standard OIL Company, Pear
son and Sons, and the Anglo-Per-
sian Company which the British
government controls. Two small,
Independent concerns, the Anglo
Hellenic Oil Fields, Ltd, and the
Franco-Hellenic Oil Company. also
are participating, with the advan-
tage Of having been first on the
scene
The oil fight is a silent one,
creating no ripple on the surface.
The situation is this:
There are two kinds OF conces-
sions, proprietary and prospecting.
None Of the former as yet have been
granted though the Standard Oil
and the Anglo-Hellenic. which form
erly was the Anglo -Bulgar, both
claim to have received such rights
in Thrace from the Turks. The
American concern purchased the
Austrian concessions at Redestos
and the Gallipoli Peninsula. The
British company, according to Mon
tagu Summers, who, with Hubert
Carsdale, formerly the British vice.
admiral stationed in the Levant and
now representing the firm at
Athens, in 1910. obtained a ninety
nine year lease Of 10000 acres at
Sufi, which is near Dedeagatch.
Each Concession Limited.
According to the Greek records,
the concession Is for only 1,zog
acres BY the terms Of the treaty
OF Sevres. each concession is to
be for only 1900 acres. Also the
treaty specifies that all concessions
OF allied countries from the Turks
are to remain good but the Greek
government is awaiting further
proofs of possession before confirm
ing these two claims concerning
which negotiations now are going
on. The Standard Oil also has large
portions of Thrace covered with
twenty concessions to prospect, re-
movable annually, which were OBJ
tained in 1914
The only other concession is the
one which the Franco Hellenic Com
pany holds and which covers the
entire western part of Greece. Last
summer the latter company got
rights which we're made good for
ten years, by a special law in Par
lament. to explore PelOponessus,
Northern and Southern Epirus. in
cluding Janina, Field Island and the
western coast. including Zante Is
land, the Greek government paying
half OF the costs.
No British Control
The big British companies as yet
have not obtained any legal foot
1t
your correspondent that the white
hall Petroleum Company" which
the Pearson interests control, have
inst submitted propositions through
Rear Admiral Howard Kelly, the
British naval adviser to the Greek
government. who recently was or
dered by his government to return
King COnstantine's decoration, to-
explore all Greek territory not now
taken. The AngIo-Persian concern,
which is working through its
branch, the Darcy Exploration Com
pany, has its eye set on Macedonia,
where your correspondent is in
formed, from a reliable source, the
British army during the war dis
covered oil while digging for water.
The VeniZellst policy was to en-
courage foreign exploitation of oil
resources by granting liberal con-
cessiOns, as nothing shows more
clearly than the Franco Hellenic
privileges. His government was
ready to give rights to whatever
concern would guarantee TO do the
most thorough prospecting and sink
the most wells. By thus developing
local oil supplies and providing a
cheap oil fuel, Venizelos hoped to
Increase the Industries which were
handicapped by lack of coal.
The only stipulations were the
usual taxes on all minerals which
are levied on the value of the prod
uet and are progressive, running as
high as 35 per cent, and a special
oil tax amounting to Is per cent of
the raw product. The director of
mines favored reducing those taxes,
but he is a Venizelist and has ten
dered his resignation.
: Copyright, 1871, Public Ledger co.,