The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-04-21

4 4t
/ ls natural" and easily understood
that American oil companies should
show strong tendency ito secure
control over foreign petroleum de-
posits.
This sympathetic statement of
| American needs is in harmony with
| the temper of the negotiations now
going forward on behalf of the
British. Turkish Petroleum Company
for the admission OF American
capital to the oil fields OF
Mesopotamia.
1t is held in British oil circles,
however, that progress toward
peaceful cooperation between British
and Dutch and American companies
is retarded by American Govern
mental misunderstanding and mis-
interpreting of British and Dutch
oil policies In documents addressed
by the American Government to the
American public.
Cites Trinidad Regulation.
1t is pointed out, for instance,
that the Federal Trade Commission
| in its recent report on the foreign
oil question has made q considerable
point of the fact that In the British
West Indian Island of Trinidad
there is q regulation preventing all
non British persons from getting
leases for oil operations on Grown
lands which means public lands. !"
This writer finds that this regu-
lation has indeed existed, but he
also finds that the following incon-
sistent fact exists alongside it.
The American corporation called
the General Asphalt Company,
through subsidiaries called the New
Trinidad Lake Asphalt Company
and the Petroleum Development
Company, is the most distinguished
petroleum producer in Trinidad,
and, accordingly TO the outstanding
petroleum trade authority of Amer
lea this American corporation has
a twenty-year lease on 1000 acres
Of Trinidad soil entirely within the
borders OF the Trinidad crown
lands"
ContrOVerted in Practice.
In other words there is a con.
siderable difference between Trint-
dad theory and Trinidad practice.
This writer finds that many of
the British and Dutch regulations
against foreign oil companies were
adopted far back in the days when
the undissolved- American Standard
Oil trust" was regarded every
where as universal monster
which was about to make uni.
versal meal Of the whole world.
He finds that since that time
there has been gradual weaken.
ing of the feeling against American
oil companies. In the Dutch East
Indies. for instance. the Standard
lon Company Of New Jersey, which
there politely calls itself the Neder-
landsche Kolonial Petroleum Matt
schappij. has concessions In Dutch
Borneo in Koetai One and Koetai
Two and in Koetai Ten, and also
In Java in the districts. of Tremboel
and OF Tawoen and of Petak and
also in Sumatra in the area Of Ia
lang Akar within the residency OF
Palembang.
Actual Oil War Remote.
The basic facts of the interna-
tional oil industry are found on
inquiry to be increasingly peace.
full; and the danger of any ultimate
actual oil war between the armies
and navies of the United States
and OF Britain and the Netherlands
is found to lie in the thing which
an American oil man described to
this writer by saying:
I'VE sometimes put too much
political diplomacy into the car.
buretor of the international bust
ness. car"
The basic facts today are these:
/. One-half of the worlds oil SUP.
ply is in the ground OF the
western hemisphere. and virtually
all Of this one-half is entirely free
of any regulations which in prac.
tice do any serious discriminatory
damage to American oil companies.
z. Hair OF the remaining half of
the worlds oil supply is in Russia
where of our own free will we do
not go,
Competition Greatest Factor.
3. In certain parts OF the re-
manning one-Quarter Of the world IS
oil supply there are regulations
which, In the course of discrim.
mating against all foreign oil com.
panies, discriminate against ours.
a. These regulations are gradual
ly getting undermined by the dis
covery that our present American
oil companies compete against one
another as gladly as they compete
against Dutch and British com
panies and that they combine with
Dutch and British companies as
gladly as they combine with com
panies Of their own countrylnen.
The Standard of New Jersey is
competing with It's countryman,
Harry Sinclair, in Persia, and ne.
gotiating for organized cooperate
with the British Anglo Persian Com
pany in Mesopotamia.
The Royal Dutch interests are
leagued with British interests in
Mesopotamia and are Joined with
the American General Asphalt Com.
pany In competition against the
British company called "Oil Conces-
sions. Limited" in Venezuela.
Rival Companies Combine.
Oil companies, 1t is conclusivelv
proved by this inquiry, are oil com.
panies and not adventures in ma
triotism, except when one of them
gets into tight place and yells for
it's home government to help it out.
Then, just about the time when
its home government has got it's
home people all excited about it, the
oil company Is just as likely as not
to go and combine with it's supposed
ly and alleFedly hated foreign rival.