The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-02-10
JAPAN SEEKS
FOR SYNTHETIC
FUEL. SUPPLY
Policy Of Self Suffieisncy
in Both Peace and War
Time Made Goa. s,n =,
BY HENRY WOOD s.
limited Press Staff Correspondent

BY HENRI WSoD -
limited Press, Staff Correspondent
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. TO-
Japan, with an Intensity equalled
only by that Of Germany, is de.
voting itself to the production OF
synthetic fuel supplies that will
make it self-sufficient in peace or
war, according to a survey Just
completed by the Institute Of Ia
cific Relations.
For the present, the survey
found, the newly created national
fuel policy of Japan is centering
on the development of substitutes
for petroleum by the process OF
coal liquefaction and the manu-
facture of alcohol. The necessity
for this lies in the fact that ia
pans petroleum resources are be-
low normal requirements even IN
peace time.
The survey showed that Japan's
peace time demand for petroleum
has been increasing immensely
during the last few years until in
1888 it reached 22,000,00O bar
rels, excluding government i'm
portations for its own purposes.
War-tim edemands would increase
that figure immensely, the survey
pointed out.
OIL PROBLEM NOT MET
The institute said that although
oil production had been stepped
up greatly in recent years, it still
amounts only to 100000 barrels
a year. simultaneously, Japan's
search. for OF lsources elsewhere,
especially in Sakhali, Borneo and
Manchukuo, has failed in any way
to solve the problem of having an
adequate supply under control,
according to the survey.
The fuel policy having failed in
this respect, Japan has turned, &C
cording to the institutes investi-
CATION, to the manufacture OF
syn thetic substitutes.
However, as the intensive use OF
coal for the manufacture Of petro-
leum would tend quickly to ex-
haust the country's coal supply,
the commerce departemnt has UNI
dertaken the task of conserving
the. latter by development fly hy-
drolectrici power wherever possi-
Bile. 80 : 49, -
The navy department, the insti.
tute found, has given especial
study to the manufacture of syn
thetic petroleum by coal liquefac-
ton, and although this method is
extremely expensive, the emerg-
,ency in Japan is considered so
great that the program meets with
governmental approval.
While Japan is still able to buy
petroleum freely in the world
markets, the navy and the gov
eminent realize, the institute
pointed out, that in. event of war,
this probably would not be the
THREE PROCESSES USED
Three processes of synthetic
fuel supplies are under 'considera-
ton BY Japan, according to the in
stitute's investigation. These arc
the carbonization Of coal at low
temperature; liquefaction Of coal
by INCORPORATION, and the scien.
tific synthetic production Of
LIQUID fuel. The latter process is
believed to hold the greatest
promise for Japan.
Four firms, it is said, arc al
ready producing this product, the
Korean Coal Engineering COM
pany. the South Sakhalin Colliery
and Railroad company, the semi
official Japan Iron Manufacturing
company, and the Kaijima Chemi-
cal Engineering company.
Other projects, it was found,
are underway, the most important
one being that of the South Man
churia Railway company, which is
building a plant at Fushun and an
other in Korea,
Meantime, the great Mitsui in
terests have obtained rights on the
German Fischer process of coal
liquefaction and are preparing to
develop it on an extensive scale.
They have decided to build an ex-
perjmental plant in connection
with one of their coal mines in
Kyushu, to be followed, if success
full, with another and larger one