A State Department official said yesterday that the U.S. would have to curtail its oil consumption in the event of a new Middle East war to avoid becoming “politically hostage to those who would turn off the tap.” William J. Casey, Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs told the annual meeting of the Society of American Business Writers that the U.S. would have to consider either voluntary restraints or rationing petroleum products “to reduce our vulnerability” should new fighting break out in the region.
Casey said that at the same time, emergency efforts would have to be made to build up an oil stockpile, develop additional resources and mount a much stronger conservation program. He disclosed that the Office of Emergency Preparedness has made some studies of how oil rationing would be handled in an emergency.
He revealed that the Office of Economic Cooperation and Development has also developed a tentative rationing plan for all Western nations dependant on Middle East oil. But he did not indicate that a new outbreak of war there was regarded as imminent. Casey agreed, however, that consuming nations should work together to develop alternative sources of energy.
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