883.6363/24
The Minister in Egypt (Howell) to
the Secretary of State
Cairo, October 22,
1926.
[Received November 11.]
No. 898Sir: I have the honor to refer to the
Legation’s Despatch No. 886, of September 30, 1926, dealing with the
matter of the Vacuum Oil Company, wherein, it will be noted from
previous correspondence which had been forwarded to the Department by
the Legation, that a protest had been registered by this company with
the Egyptian Government against small importers of petroleum being
allowed to store petroleum permanently in boats in the harbour, at
Alexandria, and to discharge their cargo into tankwagons, tankcarts or
other receptacles on the quay.
Apropos of this subject, and for the Department’s further information, I
have the honor to herewith transmit a copy of a communication from the
Vacuum Oil Company, dated October 7, 1926, in further protest against
this alleged illegal procedure in the storage and handling of petroleum
in Alexandria harbour, a copy of my reply to the Vacuum Oil Company, and
a copy of my communication to the Foreign Office, transmitting this
letter of protest in question. I am also enclosing herewith a copy of a
further communication from the Vacuum Oil Company, together with its
enclosure—the Egyptian Government’s “Handbook of Regulations Governing
Storage, Transport and Handling at Harbours of Petroleum”—in order that
the Department may fully acquaint itself with the regulation governing
the handling and storage of this product.24
The Legation respectfully requests to be instructed as to further
procedure in the matter under reference.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure]
The American Minister (Howell) to the Egyptian Acting Minister for Foreign
Affairs (Séoud)
Excellency: Adverting for the moment to the
correspondence which has taken place between the Royal Egyptian
Ministry for Foreign Affairs and this Legation relative to the
question of illegal storage of petroleum products in Alexandria
Harbour, I have the honor to herewith enclose, at the request of the
Vacuum Oil Company (an American corporation), a “Further Protest
Against Floating Storage of Kerosene and Benzine in Alexandria
Harbour.”
In transmitting this protest I profit by the occasion [etc.]
[Page 577]
[Subenclosure]
Memorandum by the Vacuum Oil Company
Further Protest Against Floating
Storage of Kerosene and Benzine in Alexandria Harbor
We have to call attention once more to our Protest of May 12th
192625 against the
dangerous and discriminatory practice of oil storage in barges at
Alexandria; also to our protest of September 28th 192626 against the menace to our installation
there caused by the storage of benzine under highly irregular
conditions in the Customs zone.
Since these various protests were made there has occurred a second
most serious incident in the harbour which demonstrates conclusively
our insistent claim that the toleration of floating storage makes
possible and even extremely probable a disaster to the port and to
our installation.
The first instance, as is quite well known, was that of the narrow
escape from destruction of the Lisette last
winter. The second is the breaking out on October 2nd of a fire on
board the tanker Jules Henry while she was
moored near the Petroleum Company of Egypt’s fleet of floating
reservoirs.
There can be no question of doubt, as we have insisted from the
first, that the presence of floating storage is a distinct menace to
the harbour and to our installation close by. On both these
occasions all the elements necessary for a catastrophe existed, and
such a catastrophe has been averted by nothing more dependable than
the greatest of good luck.
To make a very bad situation infinitely worse the Petroleum Company
of Egypt, in addition to securing a permit to store benzine under
dangerous conditions in the Customs zone on shore, have been allowed
to station alongside their floating reservoirs lighters filled with
benzine. These were in close proximity to the Jules Henry while the fire was going on.
For the protection of our own property at Alexandria as well as in
the interest of ordinary public security, we are compelled to
protest most vigorously against the continued toleration of floating
storage in the harbour; both because of its dangerous nature and
because it exempts the users from the observance of the Egyptian
Government’s own regulations regarding petroleum storage, and is
therefore discriminatory. We would request that at the very least
the storage of benzine in lighters be prohibited at once.
