693.113 (Manchuria) Petroleum/37: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in China (Johnson)
66. Your 106, March 2, 2 p.m. The Department instructed Embassy [at] London to ascertain views of the British Government with regard to the possibility of representations being made at Tokyo by the American and British Ambassadors. The Embassy reported as follows:
“114. March 12, 4 p.m. Department’s telegram No. 92, March 8, 2 p.m., concerning Manchukuo customs on illuminating oils was read to Chief Far Eastern Department. He stated that judging from reports from British Consul General [at] Mukden, who recommended that no representations be made in the present case, the question appeared to be a highly technical one, not involving a clear-cut case of discrimination and consequently a difficult point to argue. Orde81 was therefore not disposed to recommend representations suggested in the last paragraph of Department’s telegram under reference.”
Inform Mukden of the foregoing and in your discretion authorize Mukden in its discretion confidentially and discreetly to intimate to American oil companies that the British oil interests appear not to have convinced British authorities that British representations are warranted.
The Department is giving consideration to the advisability of making official representations independently. Please therefore report fully by telegram circumstances of reported refusal of Manchukuo [Page 703] Customs to accord illuminating oil—other than kerosene—imported by American companies the same favorable treatment which is accorded similar oil imported by Japanese concerns.
Repeat to Tokyo as Dep[artmen]t’s No. 29, 6 p.m.
- Charles William Orde, head of the Far Eastern Department, British Foreign Office.↩