894.6363/222: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Japan (Neville)
184. Your 211, November 15, 5 p.m. British Ambassador called at Department today in regard to oil situation in Japan. He stated that, according to a telegram received by him from the British Foreign Office, the oil companies are at present engaged in negotiations with the Japanese authorities; that the British Foreign Office feels that the position of the oil companies in these negotiations might be strengthened if the British and the American Embassies at Tokyo [Page 932] would, in continuance of the past practice of cooperation, make further representations to the Japanese Government; and that the objective which the British Foreign Office has in mind is to cause the Japanese authorities to revert to the program embodied in the fivepoint memorandum of last April.
Department desires that you report promptly by telegraph whether in your opinion further representations should be made at this stage and whether any useful purpose would be likely to be served by so doing. You should of course consult your British colleague and the representative in Japan of the Standard-Vacuum Oil Company.
In the event that you consider the making of further representations advisable, please indicate your views as to the form and substance of such representations.