Evening star., 1944-02-17
Meeting Is Called
BY Senators 10 Man
Oil Inquiry Plans

raced by a dWlndllng Oil supply
lin the United States and various
administration projects to supple
ment it abroad, the Senate Com
merce Committee met today to con-
slider plans for a full investigation
of the petroleum problem.
Before the committee is a resolu-
ton introduced by Senators Brew
ster. Republican, of Maine and
Moore, Republican, of Oklahoma to
establish an eight-man group rep
resenting four Senate committees to
investigate the whole oil question.
Senate committees from which the
inquiry panel would be chosen are
Commerce. Interstate Commerce,
Foreign Relations and Public Lands.
Would Study Three Factors.
Chief factors in the Oil problem
which would be looked into by the
new committee, if established, are:
l. A proposed s165 900 ,UUO Gov
ment-financed pipeline to con-
meet rich oil fields around the Per-
sian Gulf with the Mediterranean
area.
2. A synthetic motor fuel expert
ment program, costing $50, 900 900
and authorized yesterday in the
House by a 143-to-13 vote, to be
carried out by the Bureau of Mines.
8. A report of the Truman Com |
mittee. issued yesterday, which calls
for establishment of clear-cut
American policy toward the acquisi-t
ton of foreign Oil reserves and
for the large amount |
of United States domestic oil used
in the, United Nations war effort. |
Broader Inquiry Favored.
The special Senate committee
would succeed Senate Interstate !
Commerce subcommittee which had
scheduled hearings on the oil prob
lem this week. Senate leaders ap-t
parently believe the investigation
should be broader in scope than was
planned originally. /
1t was reported at the Capitol to-
day that the oil inquiry probably
will be headed by Senator OMa-
honey, Democrat, Of Wyoming, who
is understood to have strong admin
istration support for the post.
Postponement of the hearings
scheduled by the Senate Interstate
Commerce Committee will mean
delay in the replies of Oil Admin
iStrator Ickes and Assistant Secre-
tary Mike Straus to Senator Moore,
who challenged them to prove they
weren't trying to set up Government
ownership or control of private ship
ping and transportation by water
and by air" through the State De-
partment.
Rights Seen for Two Companies.
The 1,250-mile Near East pipe line,
proposed by Mr.. Ickes and scheduled
for construction by the Petroleum
Reserves Corp.-a Reconstruction
Finance Corp. subsidiary-would tap
oil reserves in Saudi Arabia and
KuWalt. Two United States COM
panies-the Arabian American OH
Co., owned by Standard of Califor-
MIA and the Texas Co., and the Gulf
Exploration Co., owned by the Gulf |
OH Corp.-expect to obtain the oil
rights if the pipe line is built.
The proposal has been criticized
by Representative Coffee. Democrat.
of Washington, who charged that
the Government would put up all
the money and take all the risks
while the two oil companies would
be free to pursue their customary
monopoly deals"
Representative Voorhis, Democrat,
OF California, yesterday proposed
the creation of 15-man committee
to investigate the American petro-
leum industry, which he has charged
was too heavily represented in the
Petroleum Administration for War.
He expressed alarm at the extent to
which he said the oil interests were
invading the Government"
Another Californian, Representa-
tive Poulson, Republican, asked why
development of the Alaskan petro-
leum reserve at Point Barrow had
been delayed by the Navy for II
years. He charged the delay made
necessary the Army's $130,OOO,O0O
Canol project in Canada. He ques-
toned the wisdom of building a
$165 100000 pipe line in the Near
East while potentially rich oil field
lies undeveloped in Alaska.