Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-14
0i|F|ow Keeping Pace
With War Need, Ickes
And Brewster Say
Fuel Moving at Record
Rate, Radio Forum
Speakers Declare

kote, Kodio Forum
Speakers Declare
How the Cover nment is overcom.
ing every difficulty of production
and transportation to supply tn,
armed forces with the oil they mus
have and how at the same time
every effort is being made to NEE
minimum civilian requirements wa.
described last night by Secretary O.
Interior Ickes, petroleum admins
traitor for war, and Senator Brew.
ster, Republican, of Maine, speak.
ing over the National Radio Forum
arranged by The Star and broadcast
over WMAL and the Blue Network
The indefatigable efforts of the
Government and the petroleum in.
dustry," said Mr.. Ickes, ito keep oul
OH supplies moving from the oil
nelds, through the reflneries and or
10 the war fronts and to civilian
consumers are keeping pace with
huge and expanding wartime re-
Quirements."
Mr.. Ickes added: "Our efforts tc
smooth out local distribution ano
delivery problems, so that house.
holders and war factories can con-
tinue to obtain essential supplies OF
fuel oil, is making substantial
progress. And, as I bring you this
report, thousands of tank cars are
speeding eastward with additional
supplies of all of these petroleum
products.
Fastest Rate in History.
Every available pipeline is gush-
ing additional oil in this direction,
at the fastest rate in history. Barges
are moving along every inland
waterway that is navigable at this
time of year carrying still more oil
100 per cent more than they have
ever carried before-to the Eastern
shortage areas
Eyes, Mr.. Secretary" Senator
Brewster interposed, land some
where off our Gulf, Atlantic and
New England coasts, there is ghost
feet of ocean tankers that are not
carrying the oil that might be max
ing up the difference between the
needs of our people and the oil that
you are bringing in by these inland
methods
"Those ghost tankers, as you put
IT," Secretary Ickes replied, ARE the
ones that brought in 95 per cent OF
all our Eastern seaboard petroleum
supplies before the war. Now they've
been consigned to Davey Jones by
enemy submarines or else they're
ploughing the ocean convoy routes to
the battle fronts. 1t was the loss OF
those ships to the enemy and to
direct war duty that has made the
speedy substitution of inland meth
DDS of oil transportation so neces-
sary. The real news Of petroleum
during the past year has been the
news of our progressive efforts to
build up those alternate methods OF
transportation"
Were Holding the Line"
IAN understanding of the petro-
leum situation tonight and through
the coming months" Senator Brew
ster added, won't be complete with
out recognition of the fact that your
recommendations have all been
indicated by the developments of
the past II months. I refer, of
course, to the crucial Texas-East
Coast pipe line, which, for many
tragic months your critics called
the Ickes pipe dream and to the
barge expansion program.
Il won't be satisfied with the
handling Of the petroleum problem
until we have reduced to the abso-
lutte minimum the threat of cold to
any American home, or until fuel oil
supplies are safe and assured for
every war factory, in addition, of
course, to the unstinted fulfillment
of every military need. But, in the
meantime. we don't help the situa-
ton by ignoring the errors of fore
sight and judgment that have
hampered your efforts to beat the oil
shortage"
OF the outlook for the year, Mr..
1ckes said: I'VE can say that we're
holding the line against the oil
shortage problem, that there is no
honest prospect of much easing Of
the restrictions that have already
been imposed on the consumption
Of gasoline and fuel oil; that con-
tinued increases in military require
ments for petroleum may require
ever. a further tightening of our
belts, and that the long-pull efforts
now in process to relieve the oil
shortage cannot materially alter the
critical oil situation before mid
summer"
Stresses Uncertainty.
But I want to emphasize a fur
ther fact" he added The oil situa-
ton at any given moment is the
result OF hundreds of factors and
conditions, most of them unpre-
dictable Like death and taxes, the
only certainty in the problem of the
organization of our petroleum re-
sources for war is uncertainty. Anc
this uncertainty is aggravated by
the fact that we must take actor
dIlu INC uCSlSloIlS az a IltIlC WIlCi
urgency keeps pushing every move
and sudden change is the order OF
the day"
Mr.. Ickes said the amount Of oil
moved by tank cars into the Eastern
States had increased $50 times;
pipelines into the East were deliv-
ering more than 10000 barrels
every "a hours, an increase of nearly
400 per cent over the pre-War period
and the movement of petroleum by
barges had increased about 100 pei
cent. The total delivery by these
inland and overland routes exceeds
100000 barrels day, which still is
only about 70 per cent Of the pre-.
war delivery rate of ocean tankers
alone, he added.
"Its perfectly evident to me-" sale
Senator Brewster, that our petro
leum problem calls for two actions
further expansion, with all possible
speed, of the transportation facilitie
we now have for bringing in NOR
oil and the cooperation of ever.
o;,,;l;o,, i0I1 n