The Washington times., 1923-08-08
OIL WAR MAY De
AVOIDED BY
OPEN DOOR
Stanley K. Hornbeck Advo-
Gates Equal Opportunity Rule
As Way to Peace.
BY JAMES X. POLLOCK,
COSMOPOLITAN News Service.

BY JAMES X. POLLOCK,
Cosmopolitan News Service.
WILLIAMSBURG, Mass. Aug.
decomposition, yes, but II the
open door principle, as advocated
by the United States Government,
is observed, there need be no war
for petroleum.!
This was the warning sounded be-
fore the Institute of Politics TO-DAY
by Stanley K. Hornbeck, OF the
United States State Department. He
insisted upon the principle OF the
open door policy in all commercial
dealings among nations. He SAID
the so-called petroleum conflict"
now agitating various governments
is the product Of the personal plans
and ambitions of certain indus
trial leaders, and asserted that the
American Government took no part
in the negotiations between the
Chester interests and the Angora
turkish government.
U. s. Policy Justified.
Mr.. Hornbeck argued that the
United States has better justifica-
ton than has any other nation for
concern directed toward acquiring
petroleum concessions in foreign
countries, and in as much as this
country permits freely the owning
and exploitation of American oil
resources by aliens I'VE have the
best justification for combating the
existence or the adoption of dis
eliminating or exclusive practices
by other countries.
1.-THE position taken by the Amer
lean Government in reference to
petroleum concessions has been con-
sistent with the position taken in
reference to other competitive ac-
tivities both abroad and at home.
The United States has long con-
tended for the principle of the open
door. And, in general, equality of
treatment in fields of economic en-
deavor.
Eat home, the American Govern
ment enforces no obstacle to the
purchase Of private lands for petro-
leum exploitation or for any other
purpose. More than 80 per cent
OF our territory is thus available to
aliens who may acquire it and use
1t in exactly the same terms as the
American nationals, so far as the
American Government is concerned.
Aliens may even acquire intereSvs
in our public lands by holding stock
in American corporations. That's
how the United States practices
what it breaches: Equality of treat
ment.
Excitement Unnecessary.
Abroad the United States has
commended for the same principle.
The idea Is the same whether the
region Of competition be the / al.
East or the Near East, whether the
interests involved be industrial or
or simple merchandising.
II personally am very much of
the opinion that there has been un-
due excitement and alarm, not to
say In some quarters bitterness
in connectionn with the so-called
world race or war for petroleum"
1.-THE petroleum conflict has been
due in fact to the projection of
the war psychology into the period
OF reconstruction. 1t is in part a
product Of the personal plans and
of certain industrial lead
ers. It has been occasioned. in
part by estimates Of industrial and
military necessity, based on con-
of economic and political
security; in part it has been affected
by under estimates and erroneous
figuring with regard to quantity
and distribution of the worlds
resources.
q. s. Has IA Per Cent.
"It has been in part a conse-
quence of almost purely economic
factors. The rapid increase in de-
mand for petroleum products has
the conflict and such a
condition is likely TO continue,
1.-THE impression that the United
States has a superlative endowment
Dr. that this country has gObblet
Up the worlds resources is alto
sether erroneous. We have but IA
per cent of the limited total. Con.
.rary to the statement Of Sir Ed
ward Grigg, the British empire has
about 8 per cent and in comparing
American and British resources, it
must be remembered that the Brit
sh empire has by no means been
or thoroughly prospect.
I'd or geologically explored. On the
1ther hand our actual present re-
Iuirements are greater than those
If all the rest Of the nations com
1ined. We are producing annually
nual production and we are con-
suming more than we produce, our
own production being supplemented
BY increasingly large importation
from Mexico. We run 90 per cent
Of the worlds automobiles and VIZ
nave withdrawn from the soil more
than one-third OF our estimated or
ginaI resources. AS compared with
he rapid exhaustion of our own
supply, the rest Of the world Is pro-
1ucing at rate Of less than one
half Of one per cent per annum of
ts resources.
Fourteen per cent OF the worlds
petroleum resources lies, accord
ing to present estimates, within
United States territory; per cent
N British territory; per cent in
Dutch territory.
British and Dutch interests in
cooperation are the chief com.
petitors with American interests for
he opportunities to explore in and
for the rest OF the world the 73
per cent of the worlds resources
which lie outside our own terri
-ory.
Further revision OF tho estimntca
will probably Increase the figures
Of British and possibly Dutch re.