Evening star., 1943-05-16
0PA Threatens
Drastic Action
To Save Gas
lckes Voices Fear
Of Transportation
Breakdown


yesterday threatened drastic
steps" to preserve the dwindling
supply Of gasoline in the East if
civilians do not reduce their
driving voluntarily to absolute
necessity.
Mr.. Browns statement followed a
new warning by Petroleum Admins
traitor Ickes that the gasoline situa-
ton on the Atlantic seaboard has
reached critical stage and con-
sumption cannot continue at the
present rate without the threat of a
breakdown in transportation.
At the same time, the OPA an
nounced that motorists will be al
lowed to renew their A gasoline ra-
tioning books by mail. Renewals of
D books for motorcycles also will be
handled the same way.
Adopted to Save Time.
Mr.. Brown said the system was
adopted to save the public time and
trouble by eliminating the necessity
of another registration at schools or
ration boards. Mail distribution pre-
viously had been ordered for issu-
ance Of War Ration Book No. 3 and
for renewal Of fuel oil rations. B
and c book renewals will not be
handled by mail.
Mr.. Ickes certified to Mr.. Brown
that $4,000 barrels of motor fuel
daily is all that can be made avail
able for East Coast civilian con-
sumption-including trucks, buses
and passenger cars-during June.
While the petroleum administrator
pointed out that this was the same
ALLEGATION that was made for May,
he added:
"The fact is that considerably
more than 356,O0O barrels of gaso-
line daily have been consumed in
the Atlantic Seaboard area during
May. The inevitable consequence
of this has been that, in order to
meet emergencies-including the re-
quirements Of farmers and of war
workers-we have had to make
further drains upon our already
critically-depleted storage stocks.
1--WE simply cannot continue at the
present rate or we may have trans
portation breakdown"
He said the inventories Of petro-
leum products in the East were at
the lowest level they ever had been,
25.5 per cent Of normal, and they
had been declining steadily.
Stocks Declining.
Stocks are declining, Mr.. Ickes
continued, despite increased deliv-
cries Of petroleum products to the
East by pipeline and railroad tank
car. These increases, he explained,
are absorbed by constantly swelling
military demands.
1T required oceans of oil to prose-
cute the spectacular Tunisian Of
fensive," he said. "It is requiring
still more oceans of oil to get ready
for the vastly greater offensives to
come"
Mr.. Brown said further restric-
tions in the use of gasoline could be
avoided only by wholehearted public
response to Mr.. Ickes' plea for re-
duced consumption.
For the reasons which Mr.. Ickes
has stated, gasoline must be further
reduced" the price administrator
added. II feel that each motorist,
as well as every operator of a COM
mercial vehicle, should be given an
opportunity to respond to the pc
troleum administrators appeal by
patriotically using only that gasoline
which he absolutely needs, regard
less of the number and kind Of
coupons which he holds.
III consumption is not reduced
substantially as a result of Mr..
Ickes' appeal, the Office of Price Ad-
ministration stands ready to take
steps-drastic steps, if necessary
to see that the operation of war in
dustries and the armed forces are
not endangered"
Steps Not Revealed.
Mr.. Brown did not reveal what
drastic steps he contemplated, but
said OPA was not planning fur
ther cuts in A books, which, he
pointed out, already have been re-
duced to approximately 11a gall
Ions a week, or in the B or c cou-
pons, which have been issued pas
senger car owners on the basis Of
their essential driving needs.
The Administrator pointed out
that any further cuts in B and c
rations would result only in thou
sands of new applications to re-
store necessary occupational mileage.
Rationing boards throughout the
East already have started reviewing
all B and G coupons, with a view
Of bringing the issuance of coupons
into balance with the gasoline sup
ply, OPA said. At the same time
a drive against non-occupational
use Of B and G rations have been
started.
In marking the first anniversary
(See GASOLINE, Page A-40