875.6363/22
The Vice President of the Sinclair Exploration Company (A. C. Veatch) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 27.]
Dear Sir: In June of last year the Sinclair Exploration Company was advised that the Albanian Government and people preferred American capital to the capital of other nationals; that this was particularly true with respect to oil, and that while the Government had discussed a concession with the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, the country felt it would be better not to give an oil concession to the nationals of any European country.
Following conferences in June, 1921, with the special representative of the Albanian Government2a in the United States and in accordance with arrangements then made, we dispatched a representative to Albania. Following the completion of his preliminary investigation, we authorized him to enter into a contract with the Albanian Government for a petroleum concession, and he returned to Albania for this purpose.
Because of the questions connected with the boundary of the country, in the settlement of which British and Italian influence was of great importance, the Albanians felt that it would be impolitic to give an oil concession to Americans at that time, but we were advised by the Government that it felt that in a few months it would be free of this restraint.
We now have advices that Parliament will convene next month, instead of in June as originally indicated, and that it will probably settle the petroleum question. We are accordingly dispatching a representative to Albania.
American interests, not only in connection with this oil concession, but in other particulars, are at a great disadvantage in Albania, owing to the fact that the United States has not followed the lead of the larger European nations in recognizing Albania. The British Minister has been particularly active since his arrival in Tirana, and we strongly recommend the recognition of Albania by the United States and the sending of a representative of this Government to that country.
Yours very truly,
- C. Telford Erickson.↩