Evening star., 1925-03-02
|O|[ CONCESSIONS
STIR UP FEELING
Exploitation in Many Lands
Being Watched Closely by
the Nations.
BY 8. G. ROYLE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch TO The star.
NEW YORK. March 2.-The in
creased flow of BLACK gold" through
the channels of world commerce, trade
and industry may change the course
of world politics. The struggle for
control of petroleum deposits in
dozen different parts of the world
seems destined to lead to interna-
tional representations, appeals to the
League of Nations, and perhaps to
changes in administrations of some
of the less stable governments.
Oil men are not waiting for deple-
ton of the present petroleum sup
plies, nor are they depending on the
slow moving conservative measures
to take care OF the future. interests
of a. dozen different countries are
fighting tooth and nail for conces-
sions to develop new supplies or TO
control those already developed. And
some of them. 1t Is charged, are using
whatever weapon comes to hand, po-
litical pressure included.
Moves Closely Watched.
The United States through its busi-
ness interests Is vitality interested IN
many of these struggles for control
and developments are being closely
watched, from Washington. Albania
IS the center of one of the latest
battles for control. The Anglo
Persian Oil Co. OF Great Britain and
the Standard Oil and Sinclair inter
ests all are lighting for the Albanian
oil concession. Today cable from
London announced that the Albanian
Parliament had ratified a 6o-year con-
cession to four Albanian oil fields to
the Anglo Persian Co. The agree
ment, II was stated, provided that
Italy should have some participation
in the exploitation of the fields.
1t is claimed in some quarters that
the revolution which ousted Premier
Fan Noli of Albania and established
Ahmed Bey Zogu in power and led
up to the signing of the concession
was given support by Jugoslavia
under pressure from England and
Italy through Serbia. On the other
hand many students of world affairs
contend the Jugoslavs were anxious
to see American interests receive the
concession and were not anxious to
see Il go to the Anglo-Persian Co,
although they We're supposed to be
supporting Ahmed Zogu's revolution
May Protest Monopoly,
1t is known that the Standard Oil
interests now have a man on his way
to Albania who is expected to arrive
there this week. Another complica-
ton of the situation is that the AL
bantam government signed a contract
with the Anglo-Persian Co. in 1921,
but it was not ratified until this time.
If IL is found that the ratified con-
cession gives the gloPersian Co.
a monopoly in Albania, 1T is extreme
ly probable that there will be a
vigorous protest from the United
States.
England sees in Turkeys move
ment of troops against rebellious
elements in Kurdistan an effort to
declare martial law in the vicinity
of the rich Mosul oil fields. This
would give Turkey something to
bargain with in other international
dealings. AS the boundary commits
sion of the League of Nations is In
volved, this matter may come before
the next meeting Of the league.
Russian OIL stfrs Up Feeling.
The Soviet government makes no
bones about using her oil deposits
and the concessions thereto for the
purpose of forcing recognition by
other governments. One of the lat
est Russian moves has been the null
LITIGATION of the concession to the
Sinclair Consolidated Oil &c. to the
Russian part of Saghalien. Japan
naturally is deeply interested in who
controls the Russian oil supplies.
A bitter struggle is now going on IN
South America between British. Dutch