Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-04-30
War Today
Oil Wells in China
Would Give Gas
10 Bomb Toxic
BY CAPT JOHN II. CRhIGT

wrtisu Especially tot Iotl Ns~' service
PLANS TO utilize China's un.
developed oil wells may he Tho
motive that has sent l. Gen.
StilWell and Mai. Cen. Chou
nault scurryinE 20 Washington
to confer with Gen Marshall on
stepping UP the United Nation,
war against Japan
For nearly generation re-
ports have been current IN inter-
national petroleum circles uoo-
corning oil eecpaCcS m interior
China Many o.. them have ctn-
tered on The upper Nanstze Vale
ley. stall IN me hands of Gen.
Chang Ksi-shek's forces.
OIL journals have recorded
such REPORTS fffJ.f7f tff7fe 80 tH4e,
some Of them from travellers,
some from scientists, surveyors
and biologists who have pene-
trated China $ inland provinces
Behind such a volume and
character Of testimony there
muSy be- some truth Where on
Is present under the ground,
there rs almost always some
seapaee 10 the surface Such
seepages originally betrayed The
presence Of petroleum deposits
in most Of the places where the
worlds great oil fields have been
developed.
DESPITE THE fairly general
opinion in the oil business that
extensive sources Of petroleum
existed in central China, llttle
was done before the outbreak of
the present war 10 initiate de-
velopment.
Nobody in central China
would buy oil or gasoline IN any
considerable quantities and
transportation problems rem
dered il impossible 10 get petro-
leum products 10 the coast
without paying prohibitive trans
pertatien charges Bat the time
has come when oil and gasoline 4
in central China would be worth
it's weight in gold 10 the United
Nations.
The development OF even
few fair sized oil wells anywhere
on the upper Yangtze would be
just what the doctor ordered for
the Allied war effort against
Japan and would revolutionize
the whole aspect of the cam
paign in the Southwest Pacific.
China is the place from which
Japan can be bombed most ef-
fectively. as long as Russia with
holds the use Of her Siberian air.
ports, which will probably be for
a long time. From fields grouped
around Chungking. bonbers, at
tack planes and fighters could
make life miserable for the Jap
anese forces Of occupation Of the
enslaved Chinese provinces,
THESE HAVE been having
complete command of the air in
all their contacts with the Free
Chinese armies. With an ade-
quate American air establish
ment 10 back them. Gen. Chang
Kai-shek's troops might well be-
gin 10 push Japan's field forces
in China around in a way that
would quickly change the COM
plexion OF the war
AS for Japan proper bases on
the China coast in the vicinity
Of Wenchow. still held by patriot
Chinese forces. would be within
about 800 miles of Toxic A hop
there and back would be well
within the range OF Flying Fort
resses and Liberators.
Systematic bombing OF her
closely packed industrial areas
ought TO do more damage than
q similar bombardment effort
against any other country in the
world.
~ GRAPHIC illustration Of
what the fuel problem means in
air war. Gen. Doolittle said the
other day that 10 load a Flying
Fortress for a 1.500-mile bomb
ing mission takes three tons Of
bombs, and three tons OF high
octane gasoline That means that
70 1y ton of freight that dis
lance takes about A ton Of motor
fuel.
II is nearly 1900 miles from
Calcutta. nearest Allied base 10
Chungking. So when a plane
covers that journey. she has lust
about enough gas 10 get back.
But with Chinese produced
gasoline available. she could 60
right on 70 Toxic by convenient
hops. Even a small oil well and
refinery turning out 800 tons Of
gasoline day could keep a feet
Of 100 Flying Foruesses sup
Piled.
Statements and opinions here
tn are private 20 the writer and
are not 10 be construed as re-
fecting the views Of the navy
department..
G3nrman Cnnvnu