Detroit evening times., 1942-05-18

Every once IN q Wnlle some
assiduous member of my staff
places on my desk one of your
columns. none of which do /
ever voluntarily read.
This time il was yours under
date of May 7, and, as has been
the almost invariable case in the
past. l find il full of misinfor-
nation that is either deliberate
or the product of abysmal ig-
norance.
You foolishly intimate that
gasoline figures are being with
held from publication by the Pc
troleum co-ordinator because If
they became known, rationing
could not be justified.
This is just about as fair and
accurate as one would expect
from a professional traducer.
Although / have by this time
become Injured TO your pulling
comment for the benefit of the
record, in this case l am asking
tha. my exception be noted.
All l can say is that il ev-
erything that you and certain
of your brother columnists
wrote were true, this country
would be in hell of a mess.
Hoping you are the same, /
am, Very truly yours,
HAROLD L. ICKES.
Petroleum Co-ordinator for War.
May Is, 1912
DEAR MR.. ICKES:
THAT'S your trouble. You
L should read my column every
day.
You should consult others than
those who say yes sir" 10 you.
But you must read il, even If
involuntarily, with more care,
and then you will not be always
falling into such haphaZard
errors as in your letter.
l did not intimate anything.
I said your office censored the
eastern seaboard A. p. 7. gaso-
line figures on the brink of ra-
tioning. 1t did.
/ said your office maintained
the action was taken because
the figures on which rationing is
based might give aid or comfort
to Hitler. Ii did.
l said il happened 10 be a con-
venient time for your office to
reach such decision. II was.
II you want TO let the record
stand on that ground---sprinkled
only with the above personal
abuse of me-that is your busi-
ness.
VOUR action instituting ration
Il ing could not have been
pushed 10 the extreme extent IL
was without extreme justifica-
ton.
Not even you in your char
acteristic overZealouSness could
have acted without solid cause
Why then not show your
justification openly. fully. fairly
so as TO Danish any suspicion
or resentment from the minds of
people who have less confidence
in you than / have. so as 10
inspire full public cooperation
and conformance in a policy
which has cut so deeply into life
and business
The people are eager 10 do
anything that is necessary in
this war.
Just show them the necessity.
Let the figures flow. IL is not
too late yet for you TO do it
right Sincerely.
PAUL MALLON.
IF MIR. ICKES will not Justify
L his rationing recommenda-
ton, I will try il. Despite his
censorship. / have been able TO
obtain some publishable all-use
petroleum statistics from an
other official source.
These are not so convincing as
the suppressed figures on gas in
storage in eastern states. but
they will help some in indicat-
ing the justice of the govern
ment's position.
In fact, they suggest ration
ing may have to be extended TO
the Midwest and Southwest be-
fore the year is out.
Total production of oil this
year will run about / per cent
more than last year. But con-
sumption is going up.
Demand in the rationed At
lantic area is estimated for the
year at about 563, 100000 bar
relS as against 548,000.00O last
year.
The estimate is based on first
quarter figures. which showed
demand was 152, ,000. 900 barrels.
as compared with 122,00O,000
last year.
IhlS excess. consumption OF
30,000,000 barrels had 10 be
taken out of stocks.
Concentration of facilities on
the critical eastern distress area
is going TO leave the Midwest
and Southwest short of its usual
means. 1t, therefore, may have
to be drawn into the rationed
area
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Reproduction in whole or IN part
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ONE YEAR AGO TODAY
May rs, I9<i
l.