Milford chronicle., 1924-03-07
A Barrel in a Tank is Worth Two in
the Ground

INSAS COuSS Uncle IeQ," cried
Jack as he and Ruth spied their pop
ular relative coming up the walk. I'm
Gle Ted mad been on a trip to Wash
lngton. but he had telegraphed his
friends that he would be back that
evening. They knew thai every time
he visited the National Capital he
heard and saw many things that
would be put into stories for their
evenings entertainment.
Hello, children" called Uncle Ted
as he saw their eager faces. Don't
ask ME to talk much now. / am ti...d
and cold and hungry after my long
trip. Just let me have Il warm dinner
and little rest, and then 1 will tell
you something of what 1 saw at
Washington"
1t was not long before the familiar
group was gathered around tee fire.
place. Jack began, when you We're
gone l saw lot of headlines about
navy OIL, Teapot Dome, and tanks. 1
didn't try to read about them, because
l was afraid I could not understand
1t even if tried. Now, won't you tell
us what all this talk about oil has
to do with our Navy?
You are a very observing young
man." was Uncle Ted's comment.
This matter of oil may decide the
next war in which the United States
may become engaged, but most peo-
pie do not realize it's importance and
know little more about it than you do.
When l was in Washington 1 learned
some things that, hope, will make
you understand it.
Nearly all our battleships burn oil
instead of coal. During times of Deace
II Is easy enough to buy oil from pri-
Vate sources, but in times of war thew :
cannot be depended upon, so the !
Government determined to have IN oil
supply of its own. Some large tracts
OF land in California and Wvoming
known to contain oil, were therefore 6
reserved by the Navy for its own Il
use. Ihose reservations were made bv
residents Taft and Wilson. It was
'nought at the time that the oil could
stay IN the ground, where it would he o
Navy. ~ '"e ei
But all the ground around those
eserves contains oil, too. It is ali
Wned or leased by private compan- u
Is rs winch have been busily taking out IN
II ana gas for several years. Now, 10
ne OIL IS contained in sand several ca
feet underground, and when
well is bored into that sand and &c
le OIL pump begins to work the Oil WI
uralned from the sand in all di- or
scuons. Then there is a great deal tri
gas IN the sand with the oil, It is WI
1uer great pressure and forces the pr
l part way up the well where If fol
n be easily brought to the surface. me
IL the gas, after awhile, is all blown
IT, TOO, and then it is almost impos-
Ole TO get any more oil, even with
e most powerful pumps. ia
with those wells all around the ~,
val reserves, each one pumping out o.
and gas as fast as it could, the oil ~
S being rapidly drained and the gas -
assure speedily lowered in the ma
reserves themselves. In other
rds' the reserves would soon be
arIy worthless as a future source of
i for the Navy. Everybody knew
at was going on, so what did the
Vernment do? It made a contract
h two Of the biggest oil men in the
ntry to dig wells all over the ma n
reserves in California and Wv ne;
Ing and begin to get the oil out of
m at once. They were Mr.. Dohenv
Mr.. Sinclair. They were not only
dig wells and pump oil, but were
to build pipe lines TO carry the M
to the seacoast, where big tanks the
e to be erected to hold the oil I'M |IIIT
needed. The tanks were to be To- IIIII
ID at Atlantic and Pacific ports IIlk
in Hawaii, where our ships could
run up to the dock and have it
ped aboard ready for burning.
'ayment to the oil men for all
r work was not to be made in 1IlIfi
ey, but in part of the oil thew IIIIII
out of the reserves. II didn't lIIIIl
e any difference to the Govern llls3
how or when it was paid for.
cost would have had to be paid
time If the oil was ever to be l wo
q out, cleaned and refined, car come
TO seaport, and put on a ship. WoulI
her thing. Even if the oil could TTeaoy
Deen Kept in The reserves with e mda 4aa
drainage, and war had come ta1ta - .i
U.S. II would have taken months Co. 60
Ill wells, pump, refine, and trans onJ Ib T
the OIL where the ships could get oot
eanWnlIe the war might have SUNNI
J. without our war reserves of work,
aging any part in it whatever. all ST
yOu see InaC the Government medic
nplished two very wise objects recon
'anging to get the navy oil out of Count
eserVes now. It prevented the to all
II the oil by drainage, and it put lish tn
IL into storage tanks on tbe MIS-
where it could be instant1v BOX S'
PIE for our big battleships.
nile was in Washington at G.
the hearings before the Sen OeAAGl
1mmlttee that is investigating
l reserves. Some Senator's think .!,,D.
former Secretary of the Inter- -'
rs dishonest when he made the DrNse. we ne, E,
,cts with Mr.. Doheny and Mr. charge. SISS :
IT, Maybe he was, but the Dem and Viii
seem almost to have forgotten 5ra%n 8rsS9o or %
oW and appear anxious to tsar We are Os
leases of the reserves and nre- stock of
ne pumping, refining and stor- Call pl
tanks Of any more oil. SpeciaI Phone sS g
8 have been hired to do that No extra tTS
ming through the courts. IF wifs's se'
re successful every well in the We g e.
IS will be plugged up, but every Vst,oS sSSoSs S
0und about the reserves will
err1ly on, draining out lust as
it can tha nil ond - 444 WI