The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-10-06
KEEPING UP
With
THE NE WIS
BY LUDWELL DENNY

~
Copyright by straightforward Newspapers
WTAsHINGTON, oct, 6.-An'
wv other drive to force Russia to
her knees, by shutting off her oil
revenues, has been started by Stand
ard Oil of New Jersey and by Britt
ish combine connected with the Lon
don government.
For this purpose the three large
British oil trusts have been inter-
locked virtually into one, and in
turn have strengthened an alliance
with the New Jersey company to
close world markets to Russia, hop
ing thereby to obtain eventual con-
troll of the rich soviet producing
fields.
Despite erroneous press reports in
a different connection Of a new State
department propaganda" crusade
against Russia, the Washington gov
eminent is believed to have no part,
direct or indirect, in this latest in
ternational move against Moscow.
The British government is impli-
Gated through its general anti-Rus-
sian policy, and through its direct
ma iority stock ownership of Anglo
Persian, one of the three trusts
forming the new British combine.
The other two are Royal Dutch Shell
and Burmah Oil.
= II n
TN addition to joint action against
Il Russia, the British American
alliance will attempt q general allo-
cation of world markets between
themselves, together with regulation
of production. In countries where
these companies alone are compet-
ing in sales, the arrangement will
amount to monopoly control and
price fixing. In countries where
Russia is also selling, this virtual
monopoly control will depend upon
the alliances success in shutting
out Soviet oil.
The new plan to eliminate Soviet
competition is to arrange in coun-
tries with anti-Russian govern
ments for preferential tariffs and
anti-dumping regulations, which
will make Russian oil prohibitive in
price in those markets. This plan
Is necessitated by the complete fall
ure of the expensive propaganda"
campaign of the British trusts to-
persuade the public of England and
other countries to boycott Russian
oil as stolen property"
After year of the Stolen OIL
crusade, which was ridiculed by a
large part of the British and Ameri-
can press, Russian oil is still as big
a competitor in England as ever.
British government figures for the
last four weeks period show roughly
100000 imperial gallons of Russian
gasoline imported into that country,
and about 100000 imperial gallons
of kerosene.
n
A PART from the o-called oil war
L n involved, it is said thct success
of the new plan would have wide DO
lltlcal and diplomatic significance.
Russia is described as much in need
OF capital for her industries. Her
present income from oil is a major
part OF her revenue, which she could
not lose without serious economic
consequences. So long as she re-
tains that revenue she continues to
have a certain amount of indie
pendence, but if she is driven near
to bankruptcy she must in the end
accept virtually the terms of the
capitalist governments regarding ex-
propriated property, debts and dip
lomatic relations.
Though the British American oil
alliance was discussed at the recent
gathering Of oil chiefs at the De-
turding shooting lodge In Scotland,
the plan pre-dates that meeting and
has been extended since.
The prime movers are Sir Henri
Deturding of Dutch-Shell, Sir John
Cadman of Anglo-Persian, and WAL
ter G. Teagle of Standard of New
Jersey.
Purchase by Burmah oil of 1888, 1888
shares of the Shell company, an
nounced in London Thursday, COM
pletes the three-in-one hookup of
the British trusts as Burmah previ-
ously had acquired large holdings in
Anglo-Persian, the British govern
ment company. Deturding, who
earned the name OF, oil Napoleon,
in the old days when he merged ,
Royal Dutch and Shell to fight
Standard, by this latest deal rounds
out his stock ownership in all three
British interlocking trusts.
Before Deturding's stolen oil"
crusade against Russia, he tried UNI
successfully to shut out his Standard
competitors by obtaining monopoly
concessions from Moscow. Later he
bought Russian oil secretly through
a trading organization of which
Standard Of New Jersey also was a.
part. These facts were used against
him when he attempted his unsuc-
cessful campaign for a public boy
colt of stolen goods"
y n
WTH1LE recognizing that the
w new Dutch-Shel -Burmah- ,
Anglo Persian Standard of New
Jersey alliance is much more eff
fective and far-reaching than the
lose working agreement which pre-
coded it, some informal circles doubt
that it can defeat Russia.
With her Standard of New York
and Vacuum wholesale contracts,
Russia is only partly dependent on
her direct distributing market in ,
other countries and it is not at all j
certain that the buying public in
those countries will permit exclu- ,
sion of cheaper Russian oil by dis &
criminatory tariff barriers planned 1,
by the British American alliance.