867n.6363/17
The Ambassador in Great Britain (Harvey) to the Secretary of
State
London, December 1,
1921.
[Received December 12.]
No. 724
Sir: With reference to the Department’s
telegram No. 661 of November 26, 6 p.m., concerning the desire of the
Standard Oil Company of New York to make a geological examination of
areas covered by the Company’s petroleum rights in Palestine, I have the
honor to transmit herewith a copy of a Note sent to the Foreign Office
on this date.
I have [etc.]
For the Ambassador:
Post
Wheeler
Counselor of
Embassy[Enclosure]
The American Ambassador (Harvey) to the British Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs (Curzon)
London, December 1,
1921.
No. 308
My Lord: In your note to me of October 26
(No. E 11576/264/88)48
replying to my request that representatives of the Standard Oil
Company of New York be permitted to continue geological examinations
[Page 103]
of the areas covered
by their rights or concessions in Palestine, which examinations were
commenced by the Company prior to the outbreak of the war in 1914,
in stating the conditions under which such informal permission will
be accorded, Your Lordship observes that no permission can be
granted, for the exploitation of those areas until the Treaty of
Peace with Turkey enters into force and until the terms of the
Mandate for Palestine are finally settled.
It is the opinion of my Government that the question of the date when
permission for development work can or will be granted does not seem
at this time to require discussion. The requested examinations
could, apparently, be made without prejudice to any such
question.
In view of my note to Your Lordship of September 15, 1921, (No.
189),49 sent you pursuant
to my Government’s instructions, and since the examinations are to
be without prejudice to the question of the validity of the
Company’s claims, my Government perceives no reason for the
conditions which call for a report of the investigations to the
Palestine Authorities and for compliance with any instructions which
it is [may be?] given by such Authorities. My
Government hopes that the accommodating spirit already shown by the
British Government in this matter will lead without delay to such a
specific interpretation of [or] modification
of the conditions as to make them acceptable to the Company and free
from controversial features.
I have [etc.]
