=United States.=--As regards probable developments in the petroleum industry within the next decade, the United States, thanks to the enterprise and foresightedness of financial interests of domestic origin, seems to have a strong position. United States interests are practically supreme in the commercial control of the petroleum resources of the Western Hemisphere, dominating the petroleum industry in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Peru, holding substantial interests in Trinidad and Venezuela and in the prospective petroliferous areas in Central America and Colombia. Its only competitors are British and British-Dutch interests, which control the petroleum situation in Trinidad and are not only strongly intrenched in the United States, Mexico, and Venezuela, but are aggressively seeking to enlarge their holdings in those countries and to gain footholds elsewhere. Unless the United States adopts measures, such as Federal operation of the trunk pipe-lines, to limit the aggressions of foreign capital in this country, and erects a firm forward-looking governmental policy toward the protection of investments of its citizens in petroleum properties in other countries, particularly Latin-American countries, it may witness its commercial supremacy in petroleum affairs wane and disappear, while it is yet the largest political contributor to the world’s supply of petroleum. As contrasted with the strongly nationalistic and deliberately aggressive governmental policy adopted by Great Britain, France, Holland and some other nations, the United States has never adopted any policy founded on recognition of the importance of political and commercial control of petroleum. American companies may not own and operate oil lands in the British Empire, in the French possessions, or the Dutch colonies, but the only American restrictions on foreign activity in the petroleum industry are those which cover all minerals contained in public lands. Only American citizens, or those who have declared their intention of becoming American citizens, can apply for patents to such land. However, after the application is made, there is no restriction on transfer of the mineral rights thus secured.