875.6363/176: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Albania (Kodding)
13. Your 22, February 25.19 Department understands that Sheffield, Standard Oil representative, will shortly arrive in Tirana with a view to taking up further with the Albanian Government his Company’s interest in the Albanian field. Department desires you to consult with him and to communicate, with your comments, his views of the situation which the Department desires to consider before making a reply to your telegram of February 25th.
You should not fail, however, to take any opportunity to point out to the Albanian Government that this Government confidently expects the Albanian Government to give practical effect to the assurances embodied in that Government’s note of June 18 [25], 1922 to Consul General Blake.20
[Paraphrase.] Rumors have come to the Department that Anglo-Persian would be disposed to reach an agreement with both American and Italian groups interested. Not being supplied with information regarding a basis for this sort of agreement, and viewing this as largely a matter of business policy for the American Company to determine, the Department has not advised the American Company concerned of this reported attitude of the Anglo-Persian interests. [End paraphrase.]