Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-04-28

barrels a day by the first of this
year"
The Petroleum Administrator
pointed out that he recommended
later in 1941 trebling of facilities for
gasoline production because Il was
tremendously worried. I was ex-
tremely dubious of getting pro-
auction up to a scale that would be
anywhere nearly adequate"
Mr.. Ickes continued that he met
with great opposition in his every
attempt to increase aviation fuel
output and that the vital necessity
for the move was not brought home
to higher officials until recently.
Had No Estimates.
At one point in his testimony, Mr..
Ickes charged that as late as last
September the Army had no official
estimates as to when additional
quantities of plane fuel would be
required, with the result that the
PAW was forced to make its own
estimates, based on information
from the Aeronautical Board which
indicated a requirement in 1914 al
most double that estimated earlier
in the year. Between February and
April of this year. he said, the indi-
Gated requirement again climbed
sharply, land the end is not yet"
The petroleum administrator
agreed with Chairman Truman that
the Army had not estimated needs
for aviation gasoline early enough.
Il gather from your words that
the services haven't been particu-
larly r-sighted?" asked Senator
Burton. Republica. Of Ohio
Il think that is *.'ue. especially in
the beginning" Mr. Ickes replied,
but I think it is only fair to say
that in the last few months they
have been on our side"
Despite this lack of information
as to gasoline requirements, Mr..
1ckes said, Il venture the opinion
that in July of this year-obstacles
or no obStacles-We will be pro-
ducing more fuel every day than
the best estimators had believed, a
year ago, we should need by now-or
even by next winter"
Machinery Shops Cut.
Mr.. Ickes admitted that "deci-
sions reached now to install new
100-octane facilities cannot have
any practical effect until a year
from now" just as decisions of a
year ago are responsible for the
current shortage.
Mr.. Ickes charged further that
many shops making special instru-
ments and other machinery compo-
nents required for producing high
octane gasoline and rubber could
not operate at full capacity last
year because these shops had been
cut down tunder WPB) to the use
of only a certain percentage of the
materials which they had during
previous periods when the need was
not SO great"
It has been possible to complete
only small part of the new IA
cilities which have been hoped for,
due to officials delay in allocating
materials, Mr.. Ickes said. He added
that by April Is of this year there
were AZ completed high-octane
plants. If it had not been for conflict
with other programs, including
partly but not entirely the rubber
program" the number of main
plants in operation today would be
about so, Mr.. Ickes said.
Made Demands for Help.
Mr.. Ickes charged that he made
some 80 separate demands" for help
to war production officials with little
result. The only official acts aiding
the high octane program, he added,
were WPB's move last December to
give a green light" to 20 per cent
of the program and action taken on
April 10 this year to schedule con-
struction Of the remaining gasoline
plants In the program.
The latter move, which orders
equipment manufacturers to deliver
machinery to specific plants on
specific dates should have been
issued in January or February so
that the. shops would be prepared
for it," he added.
Mr.. Ickes described as "the last
wallop that the gasoline construc-
ton program has received" an action
taken in January granting priorities
to about half the rubber program.
He pointed out that he, along with
the Secretaries Of War and Navy,
had fought the action bitterly, and