The Acting Secretary of State to William H. Libby
Washington, September 22, 1914.
Sir: The Department acknowledges the receipt of your letter of September 18, and in reply begs leave to say that the action which the Department may appropriately take at this time in the matter submitted by you will be for the Department to submit requests to the governments of the countries at war for a more specific declaration on contraband covering ordinary illuminating oil of commerce, consigned to industrial concerns.
The Department deems it hardly advisable to comply with your request for an intimation as to the extent to which the Government of the United States would support your contention that illuminating oil is distinctly exempt from contraband classification, in view of the present indefinite attitude of the several belligerents on the subject of contraband as applied to petroleum and its products.
If you desire the Department to do so, it will submit through diplomatic officers a request for a more specific declaration by the belligerent powers.
I am [etc.]
Assistant Secretary