To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

I read with interest and amusement your editorial on the Palestine situation, and noticed a current fallacy: you attempt to reach liberal conclusions on the basis of "facts" issued by the Department of the Interior and their been companions, the oil corporations. Since 1870 there have been rumors of an oil shortage in the United States and they have all been proven false. The current rumors are no exception. During the recent war, Secretary lakes and Mr. Ralph K. Davies, deputy Petroleum Administrator (he is an excellent example of the tightly-woven mesh that connects Big Oil and the Government), issued a statement to the effect that within 20 years there would be no more oil in the U.S.

Now the Old Curmudgeon probably didn't know any better but certainly Davies, being a director of Standard Oil of California, was up to his capitalistic tricks. The conclusion of Mr. lakes was arrived at by the very amateurish method of dividing known reserves by present output. "Known reserves" is a misleading term because new methods of getting petroleum out of nature are discovered at a greater rate than it can be consumed.

Engene Holman was frank enough to admit last year that the United States had no cause to fear an oil shortage for quite a while. Vast new fields are now being opened up in Florida, the Carolinas, Georgia, etc, which make the East Texas fields look like kiddy-stuff. We are also finding better ways of getting oil out of sand and other untapped sources.

It is also interesting to note that one third of the world's surface is potentially oil-bearing. How long are we going to be duped by the imperialistic capitalists of our nation and by it allies in the Government? There is no real reason for the United States being in the Near East. Let's get out before we have another war oil our hands. Judson Wood '51