The Wilmington morning star., 1940-06-23
GASOLINE SUBSTITUTE
The Star-News:

Editor, The Star-News:
Your recent editorial dealing
with the oil reserves Of u coun-
try as they relate to the national
defense contains a question which,
assuredly, is most opportune.
You ask whether our known re-
serves are indeed sufficient for the
projected activity of the tremen-
dous mechanical force which the
experience of the European democ-
racies has proved must swiftly be
made available for the protection
of the rights of free men.
The oil interests tell US that they
are more than ample. They say
that the continued discovery of new
fields and the deeper drilling of
existing properties together with
improved methods of refinement
place us far ahead Of any other
country in the world in actual and
potential supply of motor fuel.
This ) most gratifying, if true.
And let US assume that it is true.
Are we now of a mind to be salts
fled with this? We are aroused
from u lethargy; we r alert to
the task before US. And so, while
we set about to produce a super
Tor force for defense composed Of
battleships and tanks and planes,
is it to be supposed that we would
forget that oil is the source of life
to all these things?
With one voice we demand so, 900
fighting planes. But think what
cruel futility of effort if these have
not the fuel to put them in flight:
Silent motors behind idle propel-
lers will not serve to defend u
broad borders.
Today's military tactics are. in
a word, those of mobility and throw
into discard the maintenance Of
strategic position. Granted that we
can display an effectiveness of
counter-attack, the greater the mo-
bility, the greater the defensive
power. Oil induces mobility; there
fore, oil is power. Have we enough
oil?
Oil is irreplaceable. Once con-
sumeo' it is gone. We must, then,
cast about for a substitute motor
fuel, or rather a supplementary
motor fuel, to be derived from an
unlimited source, a source holding
the possibility of intimate replen-
ishments. We have this in power
alcohol derived from farm products
A ten per cent mixture Of DOW
er alcohol with gasoline would
mean a ten per cent saving Of our
gasoline supply. This mixture would
provide a motor fuel of at least
equal quality and would release for
other necessary purposes a large
portion of the vast sums of money
now being spent for farm relief
and Of the still greater sums soon
to be required to offset the more
acute condition of farm surplus
currently forecast as a result of the
normal foreign markets being clos
ed to our exploitation.
The production and use of DOW
er alcohol has been the subject of
several hundred volumes written in
all of the principal languages. In
certain of u own Middle Western
states we are already employing
this means of securing a new and
important outlet for surplus farm
products. And, happily enough, It
not spell the destruction of the
oil industry. AS the farmers posi-
tlon is improved, so does he turf
t. the wider use Of motorized equip
ment and so, likewise, to an in
creased consumption of oil. for
power alcohol is not generally O n
sidered sufficient unto itself. 1t
forms but 10 per cent of the
whole.
Nevertheless, this ten per cent
would create a demand for an adj
ditional 1000, 900, OoJ bushels of
grain annually and would increase
farm income $500, 600, O0O."
Respectfully yours.
PHILIP SCHULTZ