IN PEACE AND WAR

Evening Star, Issue 20089, 1 February 1929, Page 7

IN PEACE AND WAR

THE OIL PROBLEM EMPIRE DANGERS STRESSED Pres« Association—By Telegraph—Copyright, LONDON, January 31. (Deceived February L at 10.30 a.m.) The problem of oil for our merchantmen in the next war was raised by Sir Norman Leslie, who was one of the organisers of the great convoy system in 1917. He said the increasing use of oil in the mercantile marine since the war was fraught with difficulty, and in war time would be a positive danger. We needed 9,200,000 tons of oil in peace time, and of this we imported 7,200,000 tons. We would need 30,000,000 tons in war time. Where was it coming from? We were losing control of foreign shipping conferred by the British coal and hunkering ports. Me urged the establishment of a body of experts to work out details for the operation of the merchant Heel. Jhe employment of modern aircraft would necessitate a complete reorganisation of the convoy system. Merchantmen would have to be accompanied by scouting aircraft. The war left nobody in doubt regarding our Achilles heel. We might be certain that our enemies would concentrate on the destruction of the merchant Heet. No conceivable means of attack would be neglected. Bombs would be placed among the cargo bunkers at neutral ports, and gas mines, aireralt, submarines, and gunfire would all be called into play, as well as anything else that man’s ingenuity could devise. —United Service.