OIL DISPUTE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 23, 28 January 1928, Page 9

OIL DISPUTE.

America Trading With Russia. "ONLY A ROUTINE MATTER." NEW YORK, January 27. The belief that the United State? Government would become involved in tlic controversy over the purchase of Russian oil products by the Standard Oil Company, was expressd in financial and oil circles in New York to-day, when it became known that the United States Shipping Board had ordered 2400 tons of Russian oil from that company, to be delivered at Near East ports. This is interpreted to mean that the United States Government is giving its tacit approval of the Standard Company's trade relations with the Soviet. Official circles in Washington explain that it is only a routine matter, and the Shipping Board did not spectify oil from any particular source. It was reported in July that Sir Henri Deterding, director-general of the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company, and director of the Shell Transport and Trading Company, Limited, had issued a statement attacking the policy of the Standard Oil Company of New York and the Vacuum Oil Company, which have contracts under which they purchase oil -from Russia. The Standard Oil Company of New Jersey announced that it would not deal with the Soviet, and that in conjunction with the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company and the Shell Company it had agreed to a joint policy of not dealing with Russia until the owners of the oilfields in Russia.. were compensated. On January 16 it was reported that the Secretary of Commerce, Mr. H. C. Hoover, said the Department of Commerce did not intend to interfere in the reported dispute between the Standard Oil Company of New York and the Royal Dutch Petroleum and §hell Transport Companies.