San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-12-06
j. s. OIL SUPPLY
To Be USED UP
IN I YEARS
Special Board Pessimistic,
Urges Strictest Economy
by Entire Country.
By JOHN T. LAMBERT

0y SOkA4N - AANASSs~A
Universal Service Special Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5-America's
oil supply, the backbone of national
defense and once the envy Of the world,
will be exhausted IN seven years at
the present rate Of consumption.
President Coolidge will be informed
by his oil conservation commission, in
its official report Il is learned.
So alarming is the situation that
the President will be earnestly nd.
vised to recommend that nee Of oil
be Immediately abandoned and coal
and water power electricity employed
wherever possible in all industry.
Appointed by Mr.. Coolidge at the
time of the Teapot Dome oil scandal
to make q complete survey Of the oil
resources of the country and to formu'
late a national oil policy, the commits
sion has now practically completed
it's work.
MUST HALvE USE.
The known oil supply Of the United
States capable of being refined by
present methods, Is believed by the
commission to be about $500, 1000, 900
barrels.
n ted States is using oil and
petrJl314 products at the rate OF
500, 100000 barrels year, and con-
sumption is rapidly increasing the
commission finds.
American must cut down its annual
consumption to 350.000.000 barrels or
less than half If the situation is to
be saved, the commission believes.
Increased demands for big fast mo-
tors by autoists "who want to get
there ma hurry" is found by the COM
mission to be one cause that threatens
oil disaster.
An appeal will in all probability be
made to the mechanical genius TO de-
wise a speedy, but smaller motor that
will consume less gas.
ASK COOLIDGE APPEAL
President Coolidge will, 1t 10 antic-
ipated, be urged to appeal to the
country to get along more upon coal
and water-power electricity. The
Navy and Merchant marine are be-
coming oil-burning, and the commits
sion believes that national protection
requires the maintenance Of an oil
supply for naval demands.
An effort to discourage hometown
ers from installing oil heaters, will in
all probability be made. There is
enough coal to supply the country for
100000 years, the commission be-
lieves, and home-owners and indus
trial chiefs must be encouraged TO rely
upon it.
Over production has always led to
an energetic campaign BY producers to
educate" the people In new avenues
of consumption. A system of unit
drilling for wildcatters probably will
be enforced by the government. Courts
have held that oil is like a wild ami
NAL, to be caught "where is" The
first sign of oil has resulted in promis-
cu,us drilling by all owners of adjac-
ant territory.
The commission 1t is expected, will
recommend a single drilling, the prod.
uct to be shared by all the owners of
the land in which the well is located.
BOARD PESSIMISTIC
The American Petroleum Institute
has reported that a reserve" supply
of 10000, 100000 barrels exists and
that new sources viii be discovered by
continued exploration. The commission
shares none of that optimism.
1t understands that the reserve"
oil can not be produced by any known
method. That new sources will be dis
covered is regarded as a mere proph-
ecy.
Distillation Of shale oil would be
too expensive at present, according
to the commission. Oil produced from
coal today wouldn't keep the autos
running more than 10 days, according
to one expert.
The supply Of oil to be obtained
from Ignite is regarded as infinitesi-
NAL.