The Department of Mines is working out a scheme for the erection of synthetic coal-oil plants, it is understood. British supplies of coal and gasoline, at present, are between 150,- 000 and 200,000 tons annually.
Details of this new scheme are not known, but it is believed that its scope is comparatively limited. Britain's oil-from-coal policy still is based on the Falmouth report of 1937, which concluded that coal-oil production does not solve this stra tegic problem.
The import of mineral oil is regarded definitely as safer, apart from being much cheaper. Thus far, British oil imports have been undisturbed, despite the sea hazards.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.