Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1944, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, The Far East, Volume V

890F.6363/11–1044

Memorandum by the Director of the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs (Murray) to the Under Secretary of State (Stettinius)

[Washington,] November 23, 1944.

Mr. Stettinius: As you may perhaps have noticed from airgram no. 74 of November 10 from our Minister at Jidda, King Ibn Saud “consented readily” to permit the survey of a possible pipe-line route to the Mediterranean⁴² by the Arabian American Oil Company during a visit of officials of that company to Riyadh last month.

This is good news and a further indication that the King is disposed to play ball with us in everything that pertains to the development of our great oil concession in his country.

Wallace Murray

42. In a memorandum of November 25 in reply the Under Secretary of State said that he had noted favorably the King’s consent to permit a survey of a possible pipe-line route across Saudi Arabia.