800.6363/1601: Circular telegram
The Secretary of State to Certain American Diplomatic Representatives 20
As you know exploratory discussions on petroleum with the Government of the United Kingdom are being initiated here at the expert technical level. The object of the discussions, which will begin about April 15, is to arrive at an understanding on principles and on the procedure and mechanism for implementing such principles, preliminary to definitive conversations between the two Governments at the cabinet and ministerial level.
Discussions on oil are being held first with the United Kingdom Government because of the extensive joint interest of nationals of the two countries in foreign oil and because of the necessity for the two countries to reach an understanding thereon particularly in view of pressing problems of purely mutual interest.
In no event however will any decisions be made or action taken as a result of these discussions which might affect any third country unless the Government of such country is consulted. Moreover, it is this Government’s intention to work as rapidly as possible with other [Page 111] Governments toward a multilateral oil agreement and with that in view this Government contemplates planning with other Governments for a multilateral oil conference as soon as possible. In the meantime, as the Department stated when announcing the conversations with the British, this Government is prepared at any time to discuss with any Government problems of mutual interest concerning oil.
The above information is being conveyed orally at Washington to the diplomatic representatives of the Government to which you are accredited. It is being sent to you for your information and use where advisable in conversations with officials.
[The Anglo-American exploratory discussions were held at Washington April 18–May 3, 1944. The minutes of the meetings of the groups of experts are not printed. The draft memorandum of understanding agreed to by the American and British experts is printed as enclosure to the document infra.]
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Sent to Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela.
Sent to the Soviet Union with the following substituted for the last paragraph: “You should convey the above information to the appropriate authorities of the Government to which you are accredited as soon as possible. Please report any reaction of those authorities to this matter.”
Sent to Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Syria and Lebanon with the following substituted for the last paragraph: “You should convey the above information to the appropriate authorities of the Government to which you are accredited as soon as possible. In your conversations with those officials you should stress the fact that this Government shall strive in every way possible to see, in so far as oil concessions held abroad by its nationals are concerned, that adequate benefits are received from the development of such oil by the countries owning the resources in order that the economic advancement of such countries may be furthered. Please report any official reaction to the foregoing.”
Sent to China and to the United Kingdom for the Netherlands with the following substituted for the last paragraph: “The above information is for your use in answering any inquiries that may be made by officials of the Government to which you are accredited regarding the Anglo-American oil discussions.”
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