Foreign Relations of the United States, 1949, The Far East: China, Volume IX

893.6363/12–749

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Petroleum Policy Staff (Eakens)

[Washington,] December 7, 1949.

Participants:	Mr. J. K. Evans, Washington Representative, Asiatic Petroleum Company
	Mr. Eakens—PED

Mr. Evans expressed concern today over his inability to learn what is the policy and what is going to be done in regard to licensing oil shipments to Communist-dominated China. He said that he had talked with Mr. Magill (CA) who had informed him that there is no policy against the licensing of supplies of oil for essential civilian purposes. On the other hand, he has talked with people in O.I.T., Commerce, who apparently tell him that they are not able to act upon his company’s license applications because State has not decided upon the policy which is to be followed. Mr. Evans said that this situation is keeping his company up in the air without any basis upon which to make its future plans regarding China. He was most desirous of finding out at the earliest possible time whether or not applications are going to be approved for any oil shipments to China.