811.20(D)Regulations/233
The Department of State to the Japanese Embassy17
Reference is made to the Japanese Ambassador’s note of August 3, 1940 in regard to action taken by the Government of the United States, in pursuance of section 6 of the Act of Congress approved July 2, 1940 entitled “An Act to expedite the strengthening of the national defense”, to restrict the export of aviation gasoline from the United States. The Japanese Ambassador indicates that the impression created by that action, in view of Japan’s large imports of American aviation gasoline, is that Japan has been singled out for and subjected to discriminatory treatment. Accordingly, the Japanese [Page 220] Ambassador records the Japanese Government’s reservation of rights and its protest against the policy of the Government of the United States involved in the action under reference.
The Government of the United States desires to state that the action under reference, as was mentioned in the proclamation issued by the President of the United States on July 26, 1940, referred to in the Japanese Embassy’s note under acknowledgment, is necessary in the interest of the national defense and that, accordingly, this Government considers a protest by any foreign government against that action to be unwarranted.
- Handed to the Japanese Ambassador (Horinouchi) by the Acting Secretary of State on August 9, 1940.↩