NEW GUINEA OIL

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 69, 19 September 1944, Page 6

NEW GUINEA OIL

I AMERICAN S.EES PROBLEM "Nstherland New Guinea, where the first Netherland territory to be recaptured from the Axis is situated, is ! believed to be rich in petroleum dej posits. How- these are to be developed j raises an interesting international proj blem," stated "■ a ' report sent in Apri] ;to the "New York Times." "When Mr. Charles Evans Hughes was Secretary of State he obtained permission, with considerable difficulty, for American oil companies to explore the territory, but no development occurred," the report said. "Now American troops on a 150-mile front are retaking the territory. Ahead lie the Netherland Indies, .with- perhaps greater natural petroleum wealth than the United States, which, according to its officials, is exhausting its oil- in supplying all. the Allies as well as its own enormous war needs. The Indies are also rich in tin. minerals, rubber, quinine—of which before the war. the Indies had 95 per cent, of the world's supplies—copra, kapok, coffee, and cocoa. ■ .• "There is 110 suggestion ihat we obtain territorial concessions from the Netherlands Government,. since this is against traditional American policy, . and, moreover, abhorrent to most Americans. But., besides expending our own raw materials and other supplies in the reconauest of Netherland territory, we and the. British will be forced to expend many .lives bsfoVe the reconquest is completed. It would be interesting to know whether consideration was being /given to arrangements by which we might at least have access to and perhaps participation in the development of these resources— maybe in the form of return lend-lease for the lives that.we are already be-, ginning to pour out in this direction. "The Netherlands Government—one of the richest of the exiled Governments—has proved itself a careful trader in regard to merchant shipping, of which it has more than most occupied countries. ; "Netherland flyers trained in the United States have for months participated in bombing the island area north of Australia, doing excellent work with Mitchells. Most of the Nethsrland flyers here have been trained in the United States since the war began. There are no Netherland ground troops [in this area, although some are train-' "iff m Britain for the invasion of Europe."'