Show NEWS BEHiND THE NEWS War Vilcar grain Drain on U. U S. S Oil Reserves forces Us to Seek World Supply By RAY BAY TUCKER The Ickes mission to London to negotiate an Anglo-American Anglo oil agreement and Pres Truman's Truman's Trman's Tru Tru- mans man's proclamation extending our sovereignty over petroleum- petroleum rich tidewater areas were not accidental happenings Once the owner of ot the worlds world's greatest supply of this key peacetime and wartime product Uncle Sam Sani has drawn so 80 heavily on his oil that he could encounter serious shortages shortages shortages short short- ages within a few years The negotiated Ickes-negotiated deal with London provides for orderly production and distribution of ot oil from wells wens in the middle east where American Interests have heavy concessions The application ap ap- of ot a Monroe Doctrine to deposits on the continental shelf off California the Gulf and the Atlantic coast from Florida to North Carolina is designed to insure us a supply when other sources run dry Geologists estimate that there is more petroleum in offshore offshore off ot- shore areas than has yet been drilled on dry land in the United States The U. U S. S has other sources of ot this vital commodity but it will vill take years to bring them into production and the cost will be extremely heavy The additional toll for our army navy air forces and the everyday consumer consumer con con- sumer umer of gas would be terrific Reliance on tar sands coal shale synthetic products and tidewater production W would o 0 U l 1 d make a disastrous dent in our national economy in time of war warr or peace The The United S States t tat a t e c s has changed from an exporter into I Ian an importer of this product The domestic deficiency caused by the wa war wait together with ith the discovery discovery discovery dis dis- dis- dis covery of new foreign fields which can be bo developed at lower costs by reason of wage differentials differentials differentials differ differ- has turned us to new sources of supply It is not generally known that the U. U S S. S provided approximately 80 of the oil used by the united nations' nations armies navies air forces and transport system systems systems tem during World War Var II BritIsh British British Brit Brit- ish supplies in the near east were unavailable until after Italy surrendered and even then there were not sufficient refineries refineries refineries eries in operation in that area Russia was wa so blockaded that there were times when we shipped petroleum to that min min- rich eral-rich country In May 1945 1545 we were turning out barrels a day in including including including in- in byproducts as against 41 before the war From the invasion of Poland to V-J V day the United States produced 30 of at the total amount that has been produced within our boundaries since the discovery of petroleum in 1857 It is now estimated that our present known reserves will last for tor only 14 years New discoveries discoveries discoveries dis dis- dis- dis of oil deposits equal only third one-third of at our annual peacetime peacetime peacetime peace peace- time consumption Although the c council of ot ministers ministers ministers min min- in London ended in a more complete collapse that the spokesmen for the great and small nations assembled there have yet admitted the convention convention convention conven conven- tion did clarify the position of or orthe the United States and Great Brittan Britian The United States and Great Britain intend to maintain their prestige and their rights vis a vis Russia Truman and Byrnes aided by the dog bull gish Ernest Bevin of England have scrapped the soft promises and suggestions made to Stalin by the late Pres Roosevelt and former Prime Minister Churchill at the Teheran and Yalta con con- Naturally the French and the Chinese were affronted by Stalin's insistence that they have no voice in discussion of European problems problem What Paris and fear is that Moscow Moscow Mos Mos- cow row aims alms to reduce them to the status of second or third rate nations insofar as ns world affairs are concerned Jimmie Byrnes has no extended extended extended ex ex- tended background in international international international affairs affair But he was shrewd enough to sidestep that trap Taking the range long-range view he realized that the day may come when Great Britain and the United States will need the aid and friendship of France and the Chinese So Mr Byrnes at the risk of antagonizing antagonizing antagonizing izing Molotov and Stalin sided Bided with France and China The Bevin Attlee-Bevin government backed him up and so has Pres Truman As a consequence of the L London breakup Russia must now decide whether she wants to be an international lone wolf or to join the family of nations oh on on terms agreeable to the other members Tho The betting is that after some hemming and hawing Premier Premier Premier Pre Pre- mier Stalin will compromise when as seems probable he sits down with Pres Truman and Prime Minister Attlee some time bet between wee n and Christmas |