Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-02-28
WRITE TO YOUR CONGRESSMAN
urgent

Many letters many personal interviews
and several phone calls resulted from our
article last week on the petroleum situation
in the Pacific Northwest
Punctuating our statements that Puget
Sound is imperiled were the guns of a Japa-
nese submarine "as big as a cruiser" off the
California coast While the craftsmanship
OF the Jap gunners seemed to confirm some
OF the stories we have heard about their poor
eyesight, the Japs demonstrated that Cali
fornia refineries are subject to attack and
1t is only question of time until bonbers
will start systematic destruction of coastal
refineries while submarines viii do to the
Pacific coast tankers what the Germans. are
doing to the Atlantic coast tankers
The first objective Of the axis Is the de-
struction Of petroleum supplies. That is an
axiom Of this war. With the Far East dis
posed Of, Japan is going to fight the United
States by hampering movement of motor
fuel
The Atlantic coast has the advantage Of
pipelines and network of railroads to trans
port oil, even If tanker service stops.
How about the Pacific coast?
Look at the map. There Is no pipeline out
of the state of California and only short
pipelines in California: of absolutely no value
in supplying Puget Sound and Alaska. The
coastal railroads are inadequate to do much
more than transport troops and vital mill
tary supplies and the highways cannot carry
enough tank trucks to solve the problem.
TT WILL TAKE MONTANA AND WYO-
MING OIL TO SAVE THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST.
viii the formula too little, too late" also
record the story of the Pacific NorthwestP
There is no evidence that official circles
are alert to this situation. There is talk of
limitation Of civilian use of gasoline-of
rationing-but what will be the value of "a
tioning when there is no gasoline to ration?
Why not take immediate steps to forestau
impending danger that is as certain as it
is certain that Japan will continue offensive
warfareP
There is no more critical problem of Oil
supply in the United States today than on
Puget Sound. The closest source of oil Is
CUT BANK, and its sister field, Kelvin. At
present, development is curtailed. If these
fields are suddenly called upon to save Puget
Sound it viii take weeks and months to
get new wells drilled, to get equipment and
to get tank cars to move the refined prod
uctS. Three transcontinental railroads must
be prepared TO handle this westward move
ment as it will take all the refinery output
Of both Montana and Wyoming to care for
the emergency.
The government might profitably see to it
that not less than THIRTY strings of tools
be put to work. If need be, the drilling and
production Of these wells might be under
government supervision SO that in any case,
the industry will not be demoralized by
problems of over-production
Instead Of working on synthetic rubber
factories and like long distance projects at
his time, the government could make no
more profitable investment than to put RFC
unds to work building up the vital defense
If the Northwest
Publication Of this and scores Of other
Irticles is not adequate. 1t will require ham
nering through congressional representatives
md through war boards and bureaus. Wash
ngton is far too busy to read anything that
loes not have to do with today's immediate
demands. For that reason we have asked our
members throughout the United States to
write their representatives We viii furnish
xtra copies of our publication to those who
SIX for them, to be forwarded on to Wash
ngton.
One who wrote us this week was Tyler A.
rogers of Wenatchee, Wash. who last April
ssued pamphlet which was quoted through
ut the nation, calling attention to the dan
er in the Northwest. That was long before
nyone believed it possible, that the United
tates would now be involved in a war with
apan.
Mr.. Rogers wrote a reply to the statements
lade by Clarence S. Bessemyer, west coast
il official speaking for a National Defense
roup, who asserted on April 10, 1941
There is no need to fear a shortage of oil
d this country either for war or peacetime
eeds. There are more than 10000 oil wells
n the Pacific coast alone, spread over =
'rge territory, and even if strong enemy