Show e i 1 DR W EA ON MI W Washington O D C. C U. U S. BRITISH OIL ACCORD This column it should be noted hi in advance Is likely to be dull But if it itou fou ou are interested in keeping your ion ton or husband out of another war It U should be Import Important nt The United States and Great Brit- Brit sin lin are Just concluding the first gre agreement ment aimed to remove the danger anger of war war war-an an agreement on oil ell Oil Is one of the most ticklish eco- eco subjects in the world Oil is what makes a nations nation's battleships move runs the automobiles sends the planes into the air air in in fact spells the difference between a nation of strength or a nation which must bow ow to the whims of others The present oil agreement seeks to set set- tie lie the battle for oil eliminate one Important cause of war The last war was scarcely over fiver when Great Britain began maneuvering maneuvering maneuvering maneu maneu- vering to corner corner the oil supplies of the world British leaders were quite frank rank about it United States Protes Protests Finding itself in this position the United States government jumped Into the battle for oil with vigor The secretary of state Charles Evans Hughes wrote a series of blunt faced bare notes to the British wanting wantIng want- want Ing to know why they barred American Ameri Amen can oil companies from Palestine since Bince Palestine was not British but merely mandated to the British by bythe bythe the League Meanwhile the British though barring the U. U S. S from their areas of interest quietly invaded ours They turned up with concessions in Colombia not far from the Panama Canal Even in Panama proper a British mining gold-mining company staked out a huge and suspicious claim in inan inan inan an area where no gold old was known to exist History Begins to Repeat In World War II history at first began to repeat The five senators who toured the world war fronts came back with the story of how the USA U.S.A. was rapidly depleting her oil reserves while the British were hoarding theirs They told how the thes s I British were trying to keep us from fromI further developing oil resources in Arabia how the British had a refinery refinery refinery re re- re- re finery on the Gulf Gull of Persia 50 per percent percent percent cent Idle while we shipped oil clear across the Atlantic to British armies in the Near East Yos it looked as if history woul repeat On last April 29 however representatives representatives rep rep- es of the British and American governments negotiated ed an informal understanding timed Mimed to eliminate the oil battles battles bat bat- lIes of the future It was an n excellent excellent excellent ex ex- r sighted far agreement And during the last two weeks in Washington Lord Bc Beaverbrook and his associates have been negotiating nc ne with Secretaries ries Ickes and lull Hull to make this Informal oil agreement formal Cormal and bind bind- ing This time the British have been C far r more cooperative and sighted far than in 1919 with one possible exception After U. U S. British experts I laid id their excellent April 29 ground groundwork groundwork groundwork work Lord Beaverbrook kicked over the traces at t some things and he seems to be keeping a amore amore amore more w watchful eye ec on the interests interests inter inter- ests of the empire than on a aCair fair Cair future pe peace ce For instance he lie has been insisting that Britain Britain Brit Brit- rit ain ha have haC C the thc right to ban the sale of oC U. U S. S oil in England despite despite despite de de- spite the fact th that t British Shell SheU sells in this country However cr the basic agreement Is truly encouraging encouraging en eu- when it comes to future future fu Cu- fu- fu ture peace Provisions of Agreement It provides first That petroleum shall be available in international trade to the nationals of all peace- peace loving countries in adequate volume at fair prices and on an equitable and non non discriminatory basis This means that if the USA U.S.A. runs out of oil or vice versa it is up to Britain to help supply us unless unless un un- un less for tor example one or the other attempts to conquer Ethiopia as Mussolini Mussolini Mussolini Mus Mus- did and the world peace ma chinery chiner countries attempt to cut off their oil as the League tried to do doto doto doto to Italy but because of ot pressure from rom the big companies could not do The agre agreement ment also gives equal development development development de opportunity for acquisition etc in areas under con can cession This fits eliminates cutthroat I rivalry for new fields Each nation is to respect the valid concessions of the other and Its citizens I Finally and very Important exploration exploration ex I on development operation of ot otI refineries and distribution shall not notI I I be hampered by restrictions imposed by eithe government or its nation nation- I als als I |