Statement by the Vice President of the United States, on Oil, Upon Arrival at Fresno, CA

Four days before November 8, Senator Kennedy has finally come to realize that the domestic oil industry has its problems.

Yesterday in Wichita Falls, Tex., he announced that if elected he and his running mate would meet to discuss oil "and other Texas problems."

This promise of action to come ranks in quality and substance with his promise to make a study of the oil and gas depletion allowance.

It raises several questions

(1) When Kennedy and Lyndon get together, will Chester Bowles and a copy of the Los Angeles platform be in the room? For their platform promises a hard look at "tax loopholes," which it says includes depletion allowances. And Mr. Bowles, who wrote that platform, is on record in opposition to the depletion allowance of 27½ percent for oil and gas.

(2) Will Kennedy and Johnson discuss measures to cancel out the complete failure of the Congress, which their party has controlled since 1954, to do one single thing to help keep out the imports of foreign oil, which Mr. Kennedy now says have caused domestic oil production to slip?

(3) Will they discuss means to keep the news of their discussion on oil out of Kennedy's native New England?

(4) Will they crow over their cleverness in not holding their summit conference before November 8 ?

The American people deserve answers to all these questions within 24 hours.