Fear Loss Of Oil For Ships.

New York Times 100 years ago today, October 26, 1912:
German Naval Men Disturbed by Possible Results of State Monopoly.
By Marconi Transatlantic Wireless Telegraph to The New York Times.
    BERLIN, Oct. 25.— German military and naval circles are expressing misgivings in regard to the effect of the proposed State petroleum monopoly on the defensive establishment of the empire.
    The naval men especially are said to be somewhat alarmed owing to the increasing use they expect to make of oil fuel in the fleet. They declare that inasmuch as Germany, under even the best circumstances, will need to buy large quantities of oil from the Standard Oil Company, it is very necessary to contract for such supplies for a long term of years ahead. Count von Bernstorff, German Ambassador to Washington, during his recent visit to Berlin is said to have made strong representations in this direction and called attention to the fact that favorable contracts with the Standard were much in doubt if a controversy arose.
    The situation, as depicted by the military and naval authorities, is all the more interesting in view of the fact that Herr Vengwinner, Managing Director of the Deutsche Bank, who won the Kaiser over to the monopoly project, has made special use of the argument that the German Navy could not afford to be dependent for all its fuel on the grasping American monopoly.