867.602 Ot 81/197
The Secretary of State to George W. Goethals and Company
Gentlemen: The Department has received your letter of April 28th, addressed to Mr. Dulles, Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs,40 in which you refer to the Chester project and state that you understand that a history of this project is available in the files of the Department. It is presumed that your letter of inquiry has been written as a result of the visit to the Department of Major K. E. Clayton-Kennedy, a Canadian citizen, who indicated that you were interested in the Chester project and that you were inclined to participate with Admiral Chester, Arthur Chester, Major Kennedy and others to interest American enterprise in the possible establishment and development of rights which were the object of prolonged negotiation with the Ottoman authorities some years ago.
The Department has no history of the Chester project such as that to which you refer. In view of the voluminous character of the correspondence on this subject and the fact that it relates to the negotiations of private American citizens, it is suggested that you furnish the Department with further details regarding the exact nature of the data which you desire.
I am [etc.]
Assistant Secretary
- Not printed.↩