Evening star., 1933-01-19
OIL DISPUTE TO Be
HEARD JANUARY e
Persian Concession Was
Granted to EngliShman
80 Years Ago.

LONDON CP).-A deSolate land,
where oil derricks raise their heads
above sunburned valleys and bare hills,
is the focal point of the Anglo-Persian
concession dispute, due for an airing
before the League Of Nations on jan
uary %.
There is was that ancient PerslanS
took the ooze that weiled from porous
rocks to waterproof their boats ana 10
soothe the sore backs of their donKeys
and camels. c,,,t
There it is. north of the Persian Gull,
in the foothills which advance IKE
ascending steps to the lofty Barrier
Mountains of Southern Persia tllaI
modern communities nave sprung iloi, i,
drab desert by the development OF rlch
oil fields. ;,s1
The two main districts are MasJlo-l
Sulaiman. or Temple of Solomon,
which covers approximately AZ square
miles, and Haft Kel, approximately 30
Observation-Disclosures derives its name
from an ancient temple whose RUNS
stand in the midst of rich held ano
includes the high-producing area Oh
Maidan-I-Naftun, the 'fleld OF OIL.
Persia Ranks Fifth.
The production of these two districts
has elevated Persia into NTH rank
among the world suppliers OF BLACK
cold" the output in 1881 being 5,7oo',,
i0O tons and averaging, over perloo
of wears 100000 tons annually. Inc
United States. Russia. Venezuela anu
R,umania are the only countries ranking
ahead of Persia.
Pine lines cross mountains and desert
to carry Persia's underground "ealtn 10
the head waters of the Persian Gun: 10
Abadan. where the development OF
refinery and shipping activities have
transformed a sterile plain nto all III
dustrial center.
British capital wrought the industrial
changes, operating under 6O-year
concession. the cancellation OF which,
November 27. by the Persian govern
ment finally brought dispute to the
Council of the League of Nations.
The romance of the concession and
the DEVELOPMENT of the industry dates
to the first years of the century. when
an Englishman, William Knox u Arcy'
began a search for Oil.
Given Concession in 1901.
Darcy was a lawyer who had made
q large fortune in the Australian gold
fields and. learning from Persian OF
the seepages of oil in his native coun-
try, launched an expedition. ~
He was granted, in May, 1901, 6o-
wear concession by the Persian govern
ment for oil exploitation throughout
the land, except for the five northern
provinces along the Caspian Sea.
1t provided for the annual payment
to the Persian government OF a sum
Nf nn
profits of companies when mlght DC
formed to operate the concession.
DARCY made two fruitless efforts IN
scattered parts of the country to flnd
oil AS final attempt, he turned to
desolate valley among the Bakhtlarl
Hills marked by the ruins OF temple
known as Mas idI-Sulaiman, where
seepages indicated he might find oil.
There, in May, 1908, "gusher,
which shot oil high over the derrick,
brought him victory.
Darcy had spent seven hard years
to find oil in commercial quantities and
his fortune of many thousands OF
pounds had been nearly dissipated.
Company Formed in 1909.
In 1909 with the basis Of an indus
try laid by his discoveries, the Anglo
Persian Oil Co. was formed, with
DARCY as a director, to take over tne
concession and to carry on the deVel-
opment.
darcy died in 1s17-but he had seen
the fulfillment of his dream and the
towering Of rich enterprise in land
hardly touched since the days OF an
cient Kings.
Two features Of the deposits he un-
covered are steadiness Of production
and high and consistent gas pressures.
Though the production averages s.
100000 tons year, the potential is ap-
proXimately double that amount