Evening star., 1942-08-05
President Is Expected
To Tell Oil and Rubber
Views Tomorrow
Discussion Of Situation
Along With Grain Alcohol
Bill Veto Is Indicted

Along With Grain Alcohol
Bill Veto Is Indicated
President Roosevelt is expected
to present his views on the pc
troleum and rubber situations to
Congress and the Nation tomor-
row.
Reaf1irming at his press conference
Yesterday that he would disapprove
the bill setting up the separate Gov
ernment agency to make synthetic
rubber from grain alcohol, the Presi-
dent said he hoped to send the veto
message to the Capitol tomorrow.
and it was indicated that, in doing
SO, he would deal at some length
with rubber and gasoline.
Parenthetically, the President
commented that he did not believe
any one could make an exposition
OF the rubber situation, as there
we're more experts on the subject
than there are varieties of pickles.
Concurrently, at the conclusion
Of War Production Board meeting.
Production Chief Donald M. Nelson
said the country soon" will know
If there is to be Nation wide gaso-
line rationing, or whether an al
tentative proposal for tire conserva-
ton will be considered
.Speed0meter Checks Considered.
Mr.. Nelson would not discuss the
possible alternative, but it was un-
derstood to have been developed by
the Office of Defense Transportation
and to involve plan by which auto
mobile driving would be limited in
ron-rationed areas by means of
periodical check of mileageS shown
on speedometers. The arrangement
was reported to contemplate reg
istrstion OF every automobile out
side the rationed East and ALLEGATION
Of specified number of miles to
each driver through certificates OF
necessity"
Defense Transportation Director
Joseph B. Eastman today refused
to divulge details of his plan for
tire conservation as an alternative
to Nation wide gasoline rationing.
He said that since a decision ON
rubber conservation would be made
by President Roosevelt it would be
unbecoming to him to carry on an
advertised campaign" for his plan.
He did say his proposal for restrict
ing car use was not "Stop-gap."
but could be used independently or
with national gas rationing.
There was little likelihood Of
Government requisitioning private
automobiles any time in the near
future, Mr.. Eastman declared, al
though it was necessary for the
President to have such powers for
use when the need arose. He
pointed out that only S per cent of
the Nations cars are used wholly
for nonessential work. Five per
cent. he added. are driven entirely
fbr essential purposes, while the
remaining 80 per cent are used for
necessary services to varying ex-
tent
Parts Situation Held Critical.
Mr.. Eastman declared that he
regarded as nearly as critical as
the rubber shortage the scarcity of
repair parts for bus and streetcars
and other transportation vehicles.
He pointed out that production of
buses. trucks and others had been
brought to a virtual halt, and exist
ihg stocks must be preserved care
fully to avoid a serious transporta-
tton breakdown before the wars end.
Meanwhile, high official said the
Government could not postpone be-
yond Labor Day decision on Ma
tton-wide car-use control both for
tire saving and as a means of al
leviating the Eastern oil shortage.
THE officials remarks may be
slammed up as follows:
II. The East cannot escape coupon
rntioning of fuel oil unless the Gov
eminent wishes to gamble on a mild
winter.
-. There must be Nation wide gas
rttioning or some other driving con-
troll In order to keep in operation
any sizable number of cars. He de-
scribed rationing as the "only logi-
cal" way of conserving rubber and
said the Once of Price Administra-
tion had printed some of the coupon
hooks some time ago and held
them up.
Deficit in Any Case.
Even II present gasoline consump-
ton IN the East were cut Is per cent
more through harsher rationing than
now in force, and even though every
transportation means now in opera
tfon or planned were used. there
would still remain an oil deficit of
100000 barrels a day. This, it was
said, is based on gradual drying up
Of Eastern oil stocks
Extension of rationing to the Mis-
sissippi textension bevond that
point would contribute little relief
to the East would reduce the deficit
by 10000 to 10000 barrels a dav.
Then the East might escape fuel oil
rationing If it is wished to chance
q mild winter.
The official said a daily oil deficit
Of about 100000 barrels will be like
ly since there is little likelihood
that more drastic gas rationing
could be undertaken. He said the
tCHiPOl dlS C6Iu IdllOIl pldl CUT
consumption in the East to about
SIS per cent of normal, while the
current plan was designed to re-
duce driving to 40 to IS per cent.
The Is per cent further cut could
provide about 100000 more barrels
daily of heating oil.
Mileage Figures Given.
OPA's conclusion that use OF the
Nations cars must be cut drasti-
cally to conserve rubber. the oficial
said. was based on pure srith-
metic" following study which
showed:
That on January / OF this year
the average life OF tires on the Ma
tion's automobiles was 10000 miles.
BY October l the average life will
be reduced to $500 miles. BY next
March or April the figure will have
been reduced to 1000. 1t cannot
Re allowed to 20 lower than 1000,