The Washington times., 1938-09-28
GAS SHORTAGE
PERIL TO HITLER.
IN CASE OF WAR
Supply Of Aviation Fuel
Limited, Experts Say
BY THEODORE HUNTLEY


experts think they know what 1t
will be.
They do not believe the German
dictator will go to war.
Their conclusion rests on a sin
gle premise-a shortage Of gaso-
line.
It is admitted in the best in
formed official quarters that no
one knows precisely how much Of .
reserve supply Of aviation fuel
Hitler has on hand. But the best
information to reach Washington
on that all-important subject Is
that Germany could not fight a
war in the air in competition with
Russia and England, with much
larger reserves of oil, assuming
that her own supply would be i'm
mediately cut off by land and sea
in case Hitler decides to risk it.
BLOCKADE THREAT
England. possessing a navy
which is more than q match for
both Germany and Italy, could
bottle up both countries from the
sea. Russia could cut off Ger
many'S present supply of oil from
the rich fields Of Rumania.
Though she is drilling desperately
for oil within the borders of Ger
many, she has no oil production
Of her own now except that which
she produces experimentally from
coal. Her huge air fleet accord
angly would either have to re-
main grounded or fight at home
before many months had passed.
In some military quarters it is
believed the German air force
which Hitler is now developing,
greater in numbers than any in
the world or than those of France,
England and Russia combined,
could not stay in the air for
more than few weeks if war
should come with these powers.
Her reserves Of coal, iron,
chemicals and food, according to
the best information available in
washington, are far superior rela-
lively to her supply of aviation
gas or the crude oil from which
It is manufactured.
And this conclusion takes into
account the fact that German
chemists developed and are mas
ters Of the hydrogenation process
by which it is possible to produce
q gallon of gas from gallon of
crude-a discovery which in 1929
won the Nobel prize. a-..-
RESERVES LIMITED
Stories coming out of Germany
suggest the existence of vast un-
derground storage facilities for
Oil and gas, and it is known that
they are at least partially true.
But considering that it would re-
quire or 10 storage tanks of the
size seen everywhere on the Amer
ican landscape to hold days sup
Fly of aviation fuel-tankS which
hold from 1876, 1000 gallons up to a
maximum Of 100000 or 350, 900 gal
lons-jt is evident that her re-
serves are necessarily limited.
It is a matter of simple arith-
metic. An aviation motor uses As
OF so gallons of gas an hour. Fight
ing planes have from one to four
motors. Assuming the average to
be. two motors to the plane, and
crediting Germany with some f.
900 or 5000 planes at present and
q production capacity of 1000
more each month, and allowing
the planes four hours day in the
air-considered a fair military av-
erage-it is seen that the fuel prob
lem becomes acute in direct ratio
to the increase in the number Of
planes.
MOTORS SMALLER
No such problem presented
itself during the World War for
Two reasons: First, the number of
planes in use was small by COM
parison with the air fleets of to-
day, and second, the motors were
smaller and there was only one to
the plane.
Germany is using Diesel motors
on some of her larger planes,
including transports and bombers.
But even these use oil. Also, the
Diesel-motored planes are conSid-
cred by American experts to be
of limited military value, since
they cannot be maneuvered rap
idly and do not have the flexi'
bility Of those powered by gasoline
driven motors.
Putting together what they
know and what they think, Army
men can see a possibility that
Germany might hold out in the
air for few months at most. At
worst, she might be battered down
to the ground almost at the out
set Of hoStilitieS.
In the opinion of one of the
highest administrative officials in
washington, who has made it his
business to get all the information
he can on the subject, there is
not enough oil or gas in all of
Europe, outside of Russia and Eng.
land, to keep an air force the size
of Germany'S in the air for more
than a few weeks, if that long.