Evening star., 1944-03-17
Ickes, Senator Moore
Clash in Radio Debate
On Arabian Pipeline
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Mar. 17.-In radio
debate marked by heated personal
clashes, Secretary of the interior
Ickes declared last night he did not
enviSage the proposed Arabian pipe
line as "a Government program, or
one that would give the Government
a toe-hold in the oil business"
Mr.. Ickes, who heads the Pc
troleum Reserves Corp. which will
build the s150,000,000 line, debated
the subject with Senator Moore. Re-
publican, of Oklahoma, in an Amer
ica's Town Meeting" program broad
cast over the Blue Network.
The Oklahoman condemned the
entire project, declaring it was
needless, useless and impractical
and a reckless venture in Imperial
ISM" fraught with international
complications, dangers and hazards. "
The two men clashed repeatedly
during a discussion period that fol-
lowed their prepared addresses. At
one point. Mr. Ickes accused the
Republican Senator of being a
former New Dealer" At another.
Senator Moore asked Mr.. Ickes if he
had "ever been elected by any one"
Ickes Defends Aim.
In his prepared speech Mr.. Ickes
defended the proposed line as a
means of obtaining additional oil for
both civilian and military use.
Does any one seriously charge"
he asked, that the Government is
in the oil business because it builds
roads over which tank trucks trans
port petroleum products, or because
loaded tankers carry oil through the
Panama Canal?'
Senator Moore contended the pur-
pose OF the project was to engage
the Government in the oil business
and declared that its mere an
nouncement has chilled the Amer
ican oil industry with fear for its
very existence"
Likewise" he said, "every phase
of American private enterprise is
fearful that this bold move is the
beginning of an offensive on all
business. Businessmen know that
when Government moves in, private
enterprise moves out"
Asks Fair Price"
"A fair price, relief from burden
some regulation and a fair alloca-
ton of material and manpower." he
added. sis all that our American in
dustry needs to insure a continued
and adequate supply of petroleum
for many years to come"
Admitting that some members of
the Oil industry had denounced the
proposed pipeline as projection of
Government into business, Mr.. Ickes
asserted:
Il do not believe this to be true.
Apparently the three companies
concerned-Standard of California.
Texas and Gulf-do not believe 1t
either or they would have nothing
to do with it."
Senator Moore declared the Pc
troleum Industry War Council had
condemned the project. He added
that he wished to definitely refute
the misleading inference" that the
Saudi Arabian pipeline would ever
produce a single barrel of additional
petroleum. The pipeline does not
discover single barrel of oil reserve
that is not already known" he said.
The question involved" Senator
Moore said, sis whether the United
States shall desert its principles of
private enterprise and engage upon
a reckless venture of owning and
operating corporations for profit in
competition with it's own citizens
and abdicate its policy of diplo-
matte support for its nationals
abroad in favor of a policy of i'm
perialism. = 3" ="
Cites PRO Membership.
Mr.. Ickes said the Government
would have nothing to say about
how the three oil companies con-
Quoted their business "in Saudi
Arabia or in Kuwait."
Pointing to the membership of the
Petroleum Reserves Corp.-Secretary
OF State Hull, Secretary of War
Stimson, Secretary of the Navy
Knox, Foreign Economic Admins
traitor Leo Crowley and himself
Mr.. Ickes declared none had any
financial interest in any oil business.
1T is to be hoped that all who are
so generously flnging epithets and
indulging in opprobious language
can stand before the bar of public
opinion and plead as complete dis
interest"