United States interests, including the Standard Oil Co., the Doherty interests, the Texas Co., the Gulf Corporation, and the Island Oil Transport Corporation, are predominant in the quest for petroleum in _Colombia_. The Venezuelan Oil Concessions, Ltd., an English company operating in Venezuela, is reported to have obtained a concession to explore for oil in the northwest district of _British Guiana_. The Sinclair interests (United States) are particularly active in the search for petroleum in _Costa Rica_ and _Panama_; and the Sun Co. (United States) is understood to be investigating petroleum possibilities in other Central American republics. The Pearson interests (British) have expended considerable effort in the quest of petroleum in _Algeria_ and _Morocco_, and in the former country American interests (E. E. Smith) are reported to have recently sought petroleum concessions from the French government. British interests, including the British government, control extensive petroleum concessions in _Persia_, from which oil in unreported quantities is now being produced. The most promising oil territory of Persia has recently been closed to American activity through the granting of a concession aggregating approximately 500,000 square miles to a British concern, the Anglo-Persian Oil Co., a majority of whose voting stock is owned by the British government. This concession runs until 1961. The importance of the oil territory is indicated by its reported potential capacity of 30,000,000 barrels yearly, with tremendous reserves undeveloped. United States interests (Standard Oil Co. of New York) are understood to still retain control over the petroleum rights in certain provinces in _China_, where active prospecting in two or three localities a few years ago was reported to have yielded unfavorable results. Petroleum in small quantities is produced in _New Zealand_ by purely British interests. POSITION OF THE LEADING POWERS