Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-08-08
IT'S SUBMARINES, NOT AIRPLANES,
At kISkA

supply the Pacific Northwest from California
by rail. There aren't as many railroads on
the Pacific coast as there are on the At
lantic coast so the marvellous record Of the
petroleum industry on the Atlantic cannot
be duplicated on the Pacific coast.
The only other sources Of oil for Puget
Sound, British Columbia and Alaska are
the fields Of Montana and wyoming, with
five transcOntinentaI railways to haul the
oil But when the day suddenly comes when
the military win call upon the oil producers
Of these states to provide the motor fuel to
possibly stave off land invasion on the
shores of the state Of Washington else Brit
ish Columbia, HOW CAN WE RESPOND?
Montana oil producers realized the seri-
BUSINESS Of this situation months ago They
got In touch with the Office of Petroleum
CO-ordinatOr and said: SWhat do You want
us to do? We win formulate whatever plans
You may dictate"
What has been done?
Have any drilling materials been aIIO-
Gated to this area by the War Production
Board?
Have any tank cars been moved into the
Pacific Northwest, to care for any possible
emergency. Qnstead, tank cars are being
moved OUT Of this territory to the Atlantic
coast where there isn't the slightest possible
threat Of invasIOn.)
Has any study been made of a plan TO
divert the output Of Montana and Wyoming
refineries to the Pacific coast?
Have rail rates been considered or have
the price structures been studied, with a
view to averting the complications that
arose on the Atlantic coast?
Again taking a chance of being branded
as limoges" we assert that this situation is
SERIOUS. WE ARE IN THE WAR ZONE.
IF there Is any oil man who reads these
lines who is not convinced of the truth of
what we have said about the AIeutian
islands, we win be glad to refer him to a
veteran mining man right here In Great
FaIIs-a man who knows these islands per-
fectIy; who knows Alaska, the Yukon and
the vast country Of northern British Co
Iumbla- He win verify our statements and
give a far clearer picture of the military
possibilities Of the great Northwest than we
have read in any Of the current articles
written on the subject.
If we are correct then we are not wrong
in pointing out these facts. If these are
facts, then it is up to the men Of the Mon
tana oil industry to carry these facts back
to Washington and to thereafter organize
AS MILITARY MEASURE plan to pro-
vide the Pacific Northwest with petroleum
products. 1t is big project, worthy of the
best brains Of the oil industry.
1t is wrong to sit back and say: let the
army do it." The army needs help and none
who can help needs apologize for trying.
If it is IMPOSSIBLE for the Japs to
conduct q submarine campaign against the
Pacific coast then this Is a tempest in a
teapot. But II it is POSSIBLE, then the
facts demand careful thought If not ener-
yetic action, on the part Of the oil men of
Montana and Wyoming.
Needless to quote the Washington, D. C.
authorities who say "there isn't enough oil
In Montana and Wyoming TO supply that
market"
We grant that as true. That Is what we
are talking about. That is the thing that
should be remedied NOW-nOt when total
var hits the Pacific coast