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Show SHORTAGE ME WITHOUT CAUSE WASHINGTON There is no shortage short-age of petroleum for our Immediate nerds, according to Mark L. Requa, director di-rector or tho oil division of the United States fuel administration. The lack Is, one entirely of transportation. Gasoline Gaso-line must be produced as a by-product In the manufacture of fuel oil used in the navy, in merchant ships and in industrial in-dustrial plants and the gasoline must he disposed of. Crude oil containing the lighter, volatile oils, such as gaso-line gaso-line Is dangerous for fuel purposes until the gasoline s removed. obviously .unless this gasoline is sold and consumed, tho cost of fuel oil will increase. There Is, therefore, no Intention on the part of the fuel administration ad-ministration to shut off or limit the supply of gasoline for use In motor vehicles. ve-hicles. "There has been considerable discussion dis-cussion as tO cutting off the supply of gasoline to passenger vehicles, following follow-ing the precedent sot in England." said Mr. Requa, "but the conditions arc entirely en-tirely dissimilar for the reason that England produces no oil and has to rely entirely upon exports overseas. The United states on tho contrary, not only produces the oil for its own consumption con-sumption but large surplus quantities lor export. "It has been demonstrated recently that it is impossible to take oil for any specific purpose without exerting a detrimental de-trimental influenco on some other branch of the industry. The problem of what is least essential is an extremely ex-tremely difficult one to determine, and I am somewhat of the opinion that the non-essential industry does not exist. "It Is quite obvious that the oil facilities fa-cilities of the United States must be used in such a way as to produco that maximum benefit viewed from a national na-tional standpoint to meet the existing crisis. "The priority list was established tor tho reason that it is Impossible, because be-cause of transportation shortage, to supply all consumers. When the supply sup-ply Is sufficient, the priority list automatically auto-matically ceases to operate. When a shortage does exist, Class 12 receives no oil until all lower numbered classes are supplied. "Total stocks in the United States approximate lfiO, 000,000 barrels as of January L Last year's production approximated ap-proximated .".lVihOii.im.iO, ftnd th re v..i.. a draft on stock of about 20,000,000. There is ample oil territory available in various parts of the United States. It is only a question of drilling to secure se-cure It." |