831.6363/39

The Minister in Venezuela ( McGoodwin ) to the Secretary of State

No. 2053

Sir: Referring to the Department’s confidential instruction No. 556 of May 27th, to render all proper assistance to Mr. Cay Coll y Cuchí, of San Juan, Porto Rico, a representative of the Sinclair Exploration Company, 120 Broadway, New York, in his efforts to obtain an oil concession in Venezuela, I have the honor to state that I had the pleasure of presenting Mr. Coll y Cuchí to several of the high officials of the Venezuelan Government in Caracas and of arranging for him [Page 935] an interview with General Gómez at Maracay. From the tone of a letter from General Gómez and statements made to me by two Cabinet Members who were in Maracay during his visit there and especially from a very enthusiastic account given me by Mr. Coll y Cuchí himself, I am very glad to be able to report that Mr. Coll y Cuchí was accorded an unusually warm welcome and that he is convinced of the success of his undertaking. After two weeks spent in Caracas and Maracay, he left on April 5th for his home in San Juan and expects to return to Venezuela at an early date to conclude the terms of a contract with the Government of Venezuela for the exploration of petroleum, asphalt, naptha, tar and similar substances in a large region in Southeastern Venezuela, for a term of five years. He hopes to be able to secure the approval of such a contract prior to the adjournment of the present Congress on June 27th.

I enclose herewith, for the confidential information of the Department, copy of a memorandum3 showing the resources and holdings of the Sinclair Consolidated Oil Company, the name under which it has now proposed to enter into the contract with the Government of Venezuela.

I have [etc.]

Preston McGoodwin
  1. Not printed.