199. Editorial Note
On March 24, the Military Petroleum Advisory Board completed a report entitled “A Worldwide Petroleum Program To Fuel a Major War, 1954–1958” that it prepared for the Departments of the Interior and Defense. The study was based on the military petroleum requirements computed by the military services and on basic strategic assumptions developed and approved by the Joint Chiefs of Staff specifically for this study. The three main objectives of this study were: 1) to establish the probable minimum worldwide civilian and military requirements for petroleum in the event of a specific major war; 2) to analyze the adequacy of production, refining, and transportation facilities to meet these minimum requirements; and 3) to set forth what needed to be done to correct any deficiencies of supply that might be found.
In general the study concluded that, subject to the availability of necessary manpower and material requirements, and if certain advance actions were taken, the essential civilian and military petroleum requirements of the free world in the event of a major war could be met. It cautioned, however, that, since its conclusions and recommendations were derived from specific military guidance and assumptions, the use of its recommendations to formulate programs in wartime or peace without reference to these assumptions would be unwise. A copy of the report is in Department of State, S/P–NSC Files: Lot 61 D 167, A National Petroleum Program—NSC 97 Series.