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Rh of coal at any shipping port in the world, and the price before the war was not far from five dollars per ton.

Coincident with the building of Diesel engine ships must be the establishment of oil supply stations around the globe, so that steamship owners and shipping agents may contract for oil supplies as they now contract for coal.

The Daniels idea of an oil base in California for the United States is an absurdity. What is wanted for our navy is American commercial oil stations. No navy can use oil in amount comparable with the uses of commerce, and only commerce can sustain oil stations around the globe.

Before the European war the eyes of the world outside of the United States were focused upon the Panama Canal and the nearest oil base thereto for ships.

The United States has officially opened its eyes a bit to the question of oil for its naval ships, and not long ago appropriated sixty thousand dollars to investigate fuel oil and gasolene for naval requirements and naval storage; but while the United States now is, and has been