or 73,000,000 barrels per annum. In addition, there are at least 9,000,000 barrels in storage at Tampico and Tuxpam, ready for tanker transport to the United States and her Allies.
The Mexican Petroleum Company and probably the Aguila stand ready to increase pipe line facilities up to an additional 50,000,000 barrels per annum if they are only guaranteed protection of their governments in the construction and in their investment. See testimony of Edward L. Doheny in annexed Report of Hearing, No. 3, page 123.
The production of the United States can be increased, if at all, only slightly. The Mexican production is there already. It is in the hands of American and British companies which have taken the risk and made the great investment to get it. If their rights are respected or made respected by their governments there will be no shortage of petroleum supplies for the United States and the Allies in the war. There will actually be a plethora.
ii
But we have to count with the real hostility of the de facto government of Mexico, which is notoriously playing with the Germans. In January, 1917, a packed constituent assembly, at Querétaro (membership in which was limited to "those who had served Carranza," or less than 1 per cent, of the whole population) adopted a "constitution"
