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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



But economy on a large scale will mean 

 that not only must the oil supply be put 

 where it is needed, but the oil must come, 

 if possible, from near-by sources. Amer- 

 ican tankers encircling the world with 

 cargoes of Texas or California oil appeal 

 to the imagination, but involve too high 

 a transportation cost ; better, some con- 

 trol of oil supply on other continents. 



America's experience on the world 

 scale has been gained as an oil merchant 

 more than as an oil-producer. The illu- 

 mination of the Orient with American 

 kerosene has been followed by the lubri- 

 cation of the whole world with special 

 oils from American refineries ; and now 

 we hear of a garage in Guatemala 7,000 

 feet above the sea, or another in far-off 

 Australia using American gasoline and 

 lubricants exclusively. 



This commercial campaign has been a 

 worthy one, especially in its far-seeing 

 outlook ; but do we look far enough ? 

 We have been draining our own oil pools 

 in part to supply the needs of the rest of 

 the world, but we have made little effort 

 to render the rest of the world self-sup- 

 porting in oil production. Whether such 

 a national policy is to be characterized 

 as that of a spendthrift or that of an 

 altruist, it is certainly too short-sighted, 



NIJKD FOR OIL PIONKKRS 



The facts of the present situation call 

 for some new pioneering by the United 

 States. This appeal to American brains 

 and American dollars is made for the 

 patriotic purpose of providing for the 

 future well-being of our own country. 

 Already American geologists have helped 

 to develop the oil resources of every con- 

 tinent, the latest contribution being that 

 of A. C. Yeatch, who as chief geologist 

 for Lord Cowdray located the discovery 

 well at Hardstoft, Derbyshire, England. 

 This pioneer well struck oil at a depth of 

 3,078 feet, and since June has been flow- 



ing at the rate of 12 barrels of high-grade 

 oil a day. 



Central England has thus been shown 

 to be of importance as a source of pe- 

 troleum ; and it is gratifying to note that 

 American geologists, American engineers 

 and drillers, American rigs, and Ameri- 

 can oil-well supplies thus all "did their 

 bit" for Great Britain at the time when 

 the submarine menace led Lord Cowdray 

 to place his petroleum staff at the dis- 

 posal of the nation. 



This pioneering spirit should now lead 

 American capital and American engineer- 

 ing to seek new sources of petroleum 

 supplies in foreign fields for the benefit 

 of the America of tomorrow. Nor can 

 this be done without popular support, in- 

 spired by general appreciation of oil as 

 our servant, a servant that works 24 

 hours a day and 7 days a week. 



The "open-door" policy is best for 

 America and the world ; encourage 

 Amercan capital to enter foreign fields 

 and protect foreign capital wherever in- 

 vested in our country. However, the 

 spirit of reciprocity does not require that 

 the United States shall always keep its 

 own door of opportunity open to the 

 nationals of all nations, irrespective of 

 their attitude to Americans in the other 

 parts of the world. 



The part our Government should take 

 in planning to meet our future needs is 

 to give moral support to every effort of 

 American business to expand its circle 

 of activity in oil production, so that it 

 will be coextensive with the new field of 

 American shipping. 



This may mean world-wide explora- 

 tion, development, and producing com- 

 panies, financed by United States capital, 

 guided by American engineering, and 

 safeguarded in policy because protected 

 by the United States Government. 



Thus only can our general welfare be 

 promoted and the future supply of oil be 

 assured for the United States. 



INDEX FOR JULY-DECEMBER, 1919, VOLUME READY 

 Index for Volume XXXVI (July-December, 1919) will be mailed to members upon request 



