Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-08-23

an increase of 1853 per cent. Total
production for 1922 of this one COM
pany from little Holland was $685.
S54 tons compared with 6,450,9S3
tons in 1921.
Fields Widely Scattered
The distribution of the fields is
the intensely interesting fact. The
two great fields of production own
ed by the company + at opposite
sides of the earth. The home field
in the Dutch East Indies is one and
the American and Mexican projects
the other. But the distance between
is filled in. Egypt and Rumania
have beer exploited to get oil. If
there were more land in the vast
stretch of the Pacific, there is no
doubt that thar section of the globe
also would have a Shell oil COM
pany producing petroleum.
While the American companies
are just getting started in their for
eign exploration for oil, the Shell
company is taking more oil out of
American ground than it is taking
out of Dutch ground in the East
Indies. If the Mexican production
be added, it will be seen that the
company is getting twice as much
oil out of North America as out OF
the Dutch East Indian field.
But this list Of operations does not
COMPLETE the tale. This merely is the
report of what actually is in produce
ton now. In addition, the Shell COM
pany owns Russian oil fields. These
now are in the hands of the Soviets
and have been nationalized. The
company gets nothing from them but
sooner or later Russia will have a
big damage bill to pay.
With the earth girdled with Shell
oil fields, the exploration does not
stop. J~ugo-Slavia is being searched
for oil. Some work is Netting under
way in the Island of Trinidad and
geological researches are being made
in Colombia. Three enterprises have
been started by the Shell in the Ar
gentine and now are engaged in
drilling. This policy will be con-
tinued as long as the company exists.
This company works under diff
ferent names in various countries.
In the United States it is chiefly
operated through the RoXana Petro-
l,um Company, the Shell Union Oil
Company of Delaware and the Shell
Company of California. The Good
Hope Refinery at New Orleans also
IS owned by the same interests. The
two great Mexican enterprises are
La Corona and the Mexican Eagle
oh Company. In Venezuela the Car
Iibbean Petroleum Company bears
the Shell house flag; in Trinidad,
the United British West Indian Pc
troleum Syndicate; in the Argentine.
Diadema Argentina, Antorcha and
La Perla are the anne OF the Shell
companies.
T In addition to being a great national
resource and giving a nation distinct
advantages in time of var and in
trade rivalry. this International oil
production Is extremely profitable for
the individuals who go into it.. Foi
1922, the Shell companies paid a &c
per cent dividend, after ~reserVing
urge sums for taxes, reserve, a pro-
Vident pension fund and for new ex-
ploration.
The company is managed by what
Is called a Boar1 of Commissaries
which is composed of fine old Dutch
men of the type one sees iA Rem
brant, Van Dyke and Frans Halls
paintings. So far as we know many
OF the old masters subjects did
nothing but pose for their pictures
but these gentlemen keep Holland
OF top in oil production and, Incl
IDENTIFY, make 26 per cent for theii
shareholders. in spite of the confis-
cation of their Russian wells.