Evening star., 1941-10-04
Moffett Hits Handling
Of Oil Problem by
|ckes as '0uirage'
Petroleum Executive
Says Tunkers Returned
And Sent Elsewhere

James A Moffett. former Federal
housing administrator, now chair
man of the board of the California
Texas Oil Co. declared at a press
conference here yesterday afternoon
that he had been informed from an
authoritative" source that the Brit
ish have offered and are anxious to
return oil tankers borrowed from
American operators,
Mr.. Moffett asserted, however.
that these tankers had been sent to
the Netherlands East Indies South
America and Australia under orders
of Petroleum Co-ordinator Ickes' Of
fee.
No Shortage, He Says.
This alleged action, he added,
automatically continues the threat
OF an oil shortage"
At the oil co-ordinator's office to-
day the only comment on Mr.. Mof-
fet's statement was that there had
been requests from the British for
more tankers.
1t was recalled that Co-ordinator
IckeS said at a recent press con-
ference that Britain had indicated
the need for even more American
tankers.
Mr. Moffett told reporters at the
Mayfower Hotel that there was no
shortage of oil in the United States,
and he assailed the handling ct The
oil problem by Secretary Ickes as
IAN outrage on American consum-
ers."
No Need for Curfews.
He saw no need Of curfews or ra-
tloning, and he said that even if
shortage should come. it could te
corrected by the use of the countrys
100000 tank cars.
IN 1917, $1,000 oil tank cars
transported 30500000 tons of pc
troleum products" he said in a pre-
pared statement given to reporters.
"Twenty-three years later, in 1910,
100000 tank cars moved only Co.
100000 tons of petroleum products.
If we were now doing only as well
as we did in 1917 we would be mov-
ing 80,000000 tons year instead of
60,000,000 tons. And if we were as
smart as We were in 1917, this extra
10000, 900 tons of petroleum prod
ucts would mean an extra 383 900
barrels of oil daily
Plot for Federal Control Seen.
tary Ickes on the conduct of the Oil
industry during the World War in
a speech made in September, 1899.
soon after the outbreak of the pres
ent war, as one of significant straws
In the wind, Mr.. Moffett said he had
a suspicion that the administfat ton.
IN trying to create fears of an oil
shortage, is aiming at Federal con-
troll of the industry.
Asserting that there is no reason
for division of authority, in the
operation of tankers, between the
Marltlme Commission and the office
OF oil co-ordinator, he urged that
the former agency should have full
control over the movements of the
tanker fleet.
Let Admiral Land operate the
tankers," he said. Let Mr.. Pellev.
as head of the Railway Executive
Committee, run the tank cars. Let
the petroleum industry run its own
business. Then millions of Ameri-
can consumers of petroleum prod
ucts can forget about 'curfeWs.'
shortages and everything else per-
tanning to the petroleum industry.
including the petroleum co-ordina-
tors Office"
Due to the fact that in the
transfer of tankers to Great Britain.
Paclflc Coast operators were Obliged
10 contribute greater percentage
OF their tonnage than the East
Coast operators, the West Coast
faces the threat of an oil shortage.
Mr.. Moffett asserted. In addition.
Paclhc Coast operators contributed
some tankers to carry petroleum
products to Russia. He estimated
that West Coast operators had con-
trlbuted SO per cent of their tanker
tonnage for war-aid purposes, as