Evening star., 1942-02-10
Davies Tanker Plea
Seen as Forecastinq
Gasoline Shortage
Co-ordinotor Worms
Of Declining Fuel Oil
Stocks on East Coast

A real gasoline shortage in the
East appeared on the horizon today
following a demand by Deputy OIL
-ordinator Ralph Davies that the
oil industry convert gasoline trans
portation facilities to haul badly
needed fuel oil to the East Coast.
Mr.. Davies has sent kilograms to
heads of Is oil companies calling at
tention to the declining stock Of
fuel oil on tie East Coast needed by
war and other heavy industries.
He said the Government consid-
cred it imperative" that all tankers
and other transportation facilities
scheduled to move gasoline and light
products to the East Coast and
suitable for conversion should be
Immediately transferred to fuel oil
service.
Rationing Possible.
Gulf Coast fuel stocks are 1885,
900 barrels above last year. Mr.. Da-
vies pointed out. yet stocks on the
Eastern Seaboard have dropped
sharply during the last two weeks.
The conversion Of gasoline trans
portation facilities will drain 30
heavily on stocks Of this commodity
that rationing might conceivabty
have to be instituted.
Along with this DEVELOPMENT on
the industrial consumer front came
request from the Capitol that .
claimed" sugar shortage which Is to
result In q rationing program within
the next few weeks be investigated.
Representative O'Connor. Demo-
crat, of Montana introduced q reso-
luton calling for the investigation
Of the shortage and what he termed
the failure of both industries and
Government to convert surplus
wheat and corn into badly needed
industrial alcohol.
Mr.. O'Connor contended that II
wheat and corn stocks were used
instead Of sugar for industrial alco-
hol. Q sugar shortage for civilian
consumers would not exist.
All Facilities Held in Use.
War Production Board ofhcials
have explained that all available
distilling facilities capable Of turn
ing out 100 proof grain alcohol soon
will be doing so, but that even then
a tremendous quantity Of sugar still
will have to be used in industrial
alcohol manufacture to dn war de-
mands. As grain alcohol facilities
are increased so will the production
Of industrial alcohol from wheat and
corn increase. they contend.
Representative OConnor, on the
other hand, charged that the w. p.
B. Is delaying m announced inten-
ton to use available facilities.
Meanwhile, the Senate confirmed
the Presidents appointment Of Leon
Henderson as price administrator
He has been serving as director of
the once Of Price Administration
under an executive order.
The War Production Board yes
terday ruled that Americans will get
their vitamin A pills, war or no war
Confronted by shortage Of fish
liver oils, which formerly came
mainly from Japan and Norway. the
w. P. B. adopted rules to make the
available vitamin A supply go around
among human users. while making
chickens and cattle, who also use it
60 on short rations.
Effective today, manufacturers oi
multi -vitamin tablets were forbid
den to use more than 5000 units OF
Vitamin f in the largest dose rec
commended on the label W. p. B
pointed out that the average human
body can obsorb only that number
of units At Q time At the same
time manufacturers Of feed foz
poultry, cattle and fur animals were
forbidden to use fish liver oil which,
has q high vitamin A potency. ef-
fcctive Immediately. After April 10
animal feeds may not contain more
than 1000 units per pound, If the
vitamin is derived from fish.