Behind The Headlines German Oil Shortage Fights For Allies

Northern Advocate, 2 December 1939, Page 12

Behind The Headlines German Oil Shortage Fights For Allies

Twenty-five years is a long time, especially at the rate of modern scientific progress, and there is striking contrast between the need at the beginning of the last war with Germany and that which at present holds the attention of the world for oil fuel supplies. Trior to the outbreak of war much ink and propaganda effort had been spent in telling the world of Germany’s successful aims at achieving self-sufficiency in the majority of commodities.

For one thing—the most important of all in terms of modern warfare — Germany could not invent an efficient and economic substitute. That was the all-important oil. Would Confound Hitler. The war had not long been in progress when it became apparent that Germany was finding difficulty in securing adequate supplies of oil, a position that must now be considerably more acute. Without the assistance of oil in the prosecution of the war he has thrust on the world, Hitler will be confounded, although it will necessarily be some time before all reserves are exhausted or all supplies disconnected. Experts who have given attention to Germany’s problem estimate that by the end of 1940 Germany will not have half of peacetime requirements, a situation which in wartime will be desperate.

Herein lies the farsightedness of the British and French policy. Deprived of petrol and oil, Hitler’s great fleet of warplanes could not leave their aerodromes nor his tanks, armoured cars and transport trucks their bases.

German Consumption. With this aspect considered, it is apparent that if oil supply does not fill her needs, Germany must become largely immobilised, creating circumstances which will make it necessary for the seeking of peace. Last year Germany consumed or stored 7,570,000 metric tons or about 2,000,000,000 gallons of petrol and Diesel and fuel oils, petrol being imported from the Netherlands East Indies, United States, Mexico, Rumania, Pol-ish-Galicia and Russia, and fuel and Diesel oil from the United States, Rumania and Mexico, To supplement these supplies, the crude oil fields of Nionhagen, Wcitze

and Oberg were exploited, together with smaller fields, but the total production was only, 608,000 tons of fuel oils and 100,000 tons of Diesel oils. Synthetic petrol was produced from coal and lignite in centres in Central Germany, with further small quantities in the Ruhr district, the total production amounting to 1,300,000 tons, or 390,000,000 gallons.

Two-Thirds Imported. Without further analysis the figures show that last year Germany produced less than one-third of her peacetime requirements, the other twothirds being imported. The vigilance of the British Navy has eliminated the United States, Mexico, the Netherlands and the East Indies as possible sources of supply, and in future she must look to PollshGalicia, Russia and Rumania for her requirements.

American experts estimate that for four years Germany has been building up reserves which are calculated to last for 12 months, although it is to be expected that the Nazis will make every effort to increase their synthetic productions.

Wartime requirements are calculated to be from 75 to 100 per cent, higher than peacetime requirements, so that even one view, that half of peacetime requirements can be produced, irrespective of reserves, shows that there will not be sufficient to meet the demands of war.

Pinch in Early 1940. ‘‘Those who are qualified to know believe that stocks of oil and certain other materials will about last out this year and that Germany will begin to feel the pinch early in 1940,” said an American oil authority broadcasting in London recently. This view is of exceptional interest, particularly as it is an authoritative one. On the surface the American oil man appears to have been optimistic, but his estimate shows that the Nazi leaders are faced with a serious shortage of the commodity on which they rely for the pi'osecution of the war.

It is not likely that Germany’s position, or even the American opinion, has passed official notice, and it is possible we will yet hear of the destruction of the synthetic oil-producing plants in Germany—a policy which, it seems, would do much to bring the war to a speedier end.